Taraji Provides Testimony To Congress On Psychological Well being
Taraji P. Henson has made it her life’s work to advocate for psychological well being within the Black group and for kids. On June 7, the actress took her mission earlier than the Congressional Black Caucus Emergency Taskforce on Black Youth Suicide and Psychological Well being. Whereas there, she tearfully defined why extra must be carried out to teach right now’s youth and adequately deal with those that are presently struggling with psychological diseases.
In her opening assertion, Henson, who created the Boris Lawrence Henson Basis to facilitate in psychological well being consciousness, spoke on the topic nonetheless being taboo within the African-American group.
“We, within the African-American group, we do not cope with psychological well being points,” she mentioned. “We do not even speak about it. We have been taught to hope our issues away.”
Decided to take away this stigma, the Empire star confused that ending this cycle begins with the kids.
“We won’t quit on our youngsters, and I feel that is the place it begins,” she mentioned. “I feel we [have to] implement psychological sickness or psychological well being as training at school. It must be a topic similar to intercourse training was or bodily training. We have to speak about it. The extra we speak about it, the extra individuals will really feel like they will speak about it. I actually do not know how you can repair this drawback. I simply know this suicide fee is rising. I simply know the ages of the kids which might be committing suicide are getting youthful and youthful.”
Talking on the rising suicide fee amongst youngsters experiencing psychological well being problems with their very own and never having the correct sources to deal with them, Henson grew emotional and paused to assemble herself.
“It breaks my coronary heart understanding that 5-year-old youngsters are considering life and demise,” she mentioned. “I simply… That one is hard for me. So, I am right here to attraction to you, as a result of it is a nationwide disaster. After I hear of children getting in bogs reducing themselves — you are speculated to really feel protected in school. I am right here utilizing my movie star, utilizing my voice to place a face to this, as a result of I additionally undergo from melancholy and anxiousness, and should you’re a human residing in right now’s world, I do not know the way you are not struggling in any method.”
Watch her heartfelt and spectacular plea within the clip, under: