Taraji P. Henson to receive honorary award for her work to end stigma around mental health

Henson launched a foundation in 2018 to provide mental health resources and encourage members of marginalized communities to seek help and support.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Taraji P. Henson will receive an honorary AARP Award for eradicating the stigma around mental health within marginalized communities through her foundation that was created in honor of her father.

The organization announced Tuesday that Henson will receive the honorary AARP Purpose Prize during the ceremony on Oct. 1 in Washington, D.C. The Oscar-nominated actor will be recognized for her work through the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation.

Henson said she is honored by AARP’s recognition of her foundation’s efforts. She hopes the organization’s platform will put a spotlight on mental health and encourage people to be “open about discussing their struggles and ultimately receiving help.”

Henson’s foundation, which launched in 2018, honors the legacy of her father, who battled untreated mental health issues after returning from the Vietnam War. The foundation focuses on providing mental health resources and encouraging members of marginalized communities to seek help and support without fear and shame.

The actor said her foundation’s mission has been to “eradicate the stigma around mental illness.”

Last year, Henson’s foundation partnered with Alabama State University on mental health wellness. She was honored by the Boston-based Ruderman Family Foundation in 2000 for her work to end the stigma around mental illness.

Henson was nominated for an Oscar for 2008’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” She co-starred in the 2016 film “Hidden Figures,” which followed three African American mathematicians at NASA who played a key role in the early days of the U.S. space program. Henson won a 2016 Golden Globe for her role as Cookie Lyon in television’s “Empire” series.

Seven individuals will be awarded the AARP Purpose Prize, which honors people ages 50 and older who are making a difference through their “knowledge and life experience.” Each of their organizations will receive $50,000. They are:

• Jon Eldan of Oakland whose After Innocence provides free post-release support for individuals nationwide who were imprisoned for crimes they did not commit.
• Robert Elkin of Dallas whose March to the Polls works to increase electoral participation in underrepresented communities, primarily youth and people of color.
• Renee Fluker of Detroit whose Midnight Golf Program convenes high school seniors twice weekly for structured life skill sessions, communal dining experiences, professional golf instruction, mentorship and college readiness initiatives.
• Gemma M. Garcia of Miami whose Ladies Empowerment and Action Program empowers women by providing incarceration-to-community wraparound services.
• Jennifer Jacobs of Falls Church, Virginia, whose Connect Our Kidscreates scalable tools to help keep kids in foster care connected to their people.
• Jim Ansara of Beverly, Massachusetts, whose Build Health International improves access to and builds capacity for dignified, affordable and high-quality health care infrastructure in resource-constrained settings around the world.
• Calvin Mackie of New Orleans whose STEM NOLA looks to inspire future innovators, creators, makers and entrepreneurs through STEM-based activities and to create opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math.

AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins applauded the recipients for their efforts. She was impressed with their ability to “create new solutions for how people live and age and solve pressing social problems.”

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