Long before she graced red carpets or earned her place among Hollywood’s elite, actress Taraji P. Henson was a student at Oxon Hill High School in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Recently, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, she returned to her alma mater with a powerful message: mental wellness matters.
Partnering with Prince George’s County Council Chair Edward Burroughs, Henson hosted a mental health workshop designed to resonate with high school students. The event offered a creative approach to wellness, incorporating art, poetry, filmmaking, and dance as nontraditional forms of therapy.
“I come from a community that doesn’t talk about mental wellness,” said Henson. “After experiencing depression and anxiety myself, I felt the need to take action.”
Her advocacy led to the founding of the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, named after her late father, a Vietnam War veteran who battled mental health challenges. The foundation aims to normalize conversations around mental health—particularly in underserved communities.
According to Burroughs, the need is urgent: “One in five of our high school students have contemplated suicide. We have to find ways to make mental health accessible and engaging.”
The students responded enthusiastically to Henson’s presence and the uplifting event. “We all have dreams when we’re kids,” she said. “To see mine come true—and inspire others—means everything to me.”
