Los Angeles, CA – June 26: Taraji P. Henson attends the 2022 BET Awards held at Microsoft Theater [+] June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
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Taraji P. Henson is an ongoing voice for mental health advocacy in the Black community.
Taraji P. Henson has teamed up with BET Media Group again for 2024's Can We Talk? Symposium on behalf of the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation (BLHF). The two-day initiative, held May 30th and 31st at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Washington, D.C., will focus on improving mental health in the Black community through mixers, panel discussions, breakout sessions, a gala, and more. It aims to address the negative stigma associated with
“BET Media Group is proud to continue our partnership with the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation for the ‘Can We Talk? Symposium,” said BET Media Group Executive Vice President of Insights and Multiplatform Analytics. President Tiyale Hayes said in a statement. “Together, we remain steadfast in our commitment to breaking the silence and stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community and providing accessible resources and support through the Joy Challenge. It reflects our shared dedication to creating a culture of health and empowerment.”
Launched last spring, BET and BLHF's 1 Million Hours of Joy Challenge plans to provide 1 million hours of free mental health services to the Black community. To date, more than 150,000 hours of free mental health services have been provided. This challenge reveals the undeniable reality of the clear community ills of inaccessible mental health services.
This initiative intentionally provides free services to a wide range of Black communities, including HBCU campuses, the entertainment industry, and the sports field.
At the Can We Talk? participant symposium, mental health professionals and advocates in particular will have the opportunity to learn, evolve, and network while exploring concepts of safety, belonging, and dignity. The event's theme, “Radical Attunement,” focuses on the partnership's philosophy of “deep listening, empathic understanding, and authentic connection.”
“Are you able to talk? “The symposium aims to provide participants with the tools and insights they need to overcome life's challenges with resilience and compassion,” said Taraji P., founder and chair of the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation. Henson said in a statement. “By coming together to explore our theme of Radical Attunement, we can create a world where every individual feels valued and respected.”
WASHINGTON DC – OCTOBER 30: (LR) Taraji P. Henson and Tracy Jade Jenkins attend “BoBo's Joy” [+] “Joint” was presented by Taraji P. Henson and the Boris L. Henson Foundation on October 30, 2023 at Planet Word in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation)
Getty Images for Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation
In 2018, Henson, along with his best friend Tracy Jade Jenkins, founded the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation in honor of his father, Boris Lawrence Henson. He was one of many veterans who experienced untreated mental illnesses such as PTSD and bipolar disorder after returning from the Vietnam War.
Since its founding, the organization has undertaken several initiatives, including a collaboration with Kate Spade to fund therapy hubs on HBCU campuses. These hubs offer free virtual therapy sessions and provide additional artistic therapeutic avenues for female students facing challenges accessing mental health services.
Henson has emerged as an experienced and vocal advocate for mental health in the Black community. In 2019, the award-winning actress spoke before Congress and revealed her personal struggle with depression and PTSD. She said that she and her son experienced great trauma due to the consecutive deaths of her own father and her son's father.
“We in the African American community are not addressing mental health issues. We're not even talking about it,” Henson implored.
According to a 2013 study, 63% of Black people believe that mental health conditions are a sign of personal weakness. Such biases create significant barriers to accessing mental health care and support services in Black communities.
According to Columbia Psychiatry, Black adults have a 20% increased risk of developing major mental health conditions such as major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Additionally, Black people transitioning from adolescence to adulthood, particularly those between the ages of 18 and 25, face more intense mental health struggles and receive less treatment compared to their White peers and older Black adults. The percentage of people who receive it will be lower.
Henson's work is rooted in her personal story and advances the mission of the BET and BLHF partnership by fostering necessary conversations and practical solutions. Are you able to talk? The symposium emerges as a transformative space, symbolizing hope and progress in mental health advocacy within the Black community.
