Today I was about to share healthy, delicious recipes from left over turkey today. Because ya know, Thanksgiving is coming and I just to help you out! But again, another idea that I toss out the window. Don’t worry, if you want I can still post it, but some other time.
As you see, I have the beautiful and talented Taraji P. Henson posted here for a good reason. Yesterday’s post, African Americans and Mental Health, got into details of lack of mental health management and education within the black community.
Well, today I was browsing on the internet and I found out Taraji created a foundation on mental health for African Americans. It’s called The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation. It’s named after her father, because he has inspired to do so.
Taraji’s father was a former veteran battling mental health issues. He had passed away in 2006 at the age of 58 from liver cancer. This is her following statement with Vibe, ““I named the organization after my father because of his complete and unconditional love for me; his unabashed, unashamed ability to tell the truth, even if it hurt; and his strength to push through his own battles with mental health issues,” she said. “My dad fought in the Vietnam War for our country, returned broken, and received little to no physical and emotional support. I stand now in his absence, committed to offering support to African Americans who face trauma daily, simply because they are black.” According to her quote, it seems like her father may have suffered from PTSD; which is not so uncommon among vets.
Anyway, I am so glad she have taken initiative and we need to see more of this in the future. I know the fabulous actress who plays the fierce Cookie Lyon, on the hit show Empire, I would have love to ask her some questions. I think I have watched the first couple/few seasons and stopped after that. I do remember, it touched on the subject of mental illness. One of the characters, Andre Lyon, has bipolar disorder.
There were a couple of episodes had some misleading information on the illness, but I recognize each episode has a certain time frame and a lot of characters have their own story line. Plus it all has to move with the pace of the storyline. So I understand why things were a bit off. But because there is lack of representation of mental health, and when it’s displayed, it’s extremely inaccurate.
I was wondering if she would like to direct a few episodes on the tv show about mental health. Since it seems like she would have a better grasp of it. I think she would have done a better/more accurate job in showing what’s it like to have mental illness; especially within the African American community. But, that’s just my imagination wishing for it to become reality. For now, I wish the foundation the best and after I post this, I will do more research to see how I can participate. I hope you will too.
Only Michy 