Taraji P. Henson wants to help her community cope with their mental health amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The “Empire” actress is keen to support the Black community, particularly with their mental health, during the health crisis.
She said: “When COVID happened, my heart went out and I just knew that people were suffering and they’re suffering alone in isolation. I’m blessed. I can call my therapist. I can pay for it without thinking about it, but what about those who can’t?”
And Henson wants to reduce the “stigma” surrounding mental health, particularly in the Black community.
Speaking to CNN, she added: “My hope is that we eradicate the stigma around mental health in the Black community.”
Meanwhile, the 49-year-old actress previously revealed her “life’s purpose” is talking about her mental health.
Henson — who has been honest about her own battle with depression and anxiety for several years — shared: “I feel like I found my life’s purpose, talking about mental health. I was trying to find it through acting, but then people get caught up in the celebrity. This is real, this is straight to the chase. This is me.”
The actress wants more people to talk about mental health.
She said: “The suicide rate has taken off. It amazes me that 5-year-olds are contemplating suicide. That’s a word you shouldn’t even understand at 5 years old.
“We don’t talk about mental health, we don’t deal with it. For generations, we’ve been told it’s a weakness, to pray our problems away — and that’s just not gonna cut it. I’m only one voice. I need help. If we can teach children about sex education and physical education, why not mental? That’s where we start attacking this issue: with the children.”
