Taraji P. Henson creates foundation to honor her late father who battled mental issues

Taraji P Henson is an actress fighting for a cause. She recently launched a foundation to battle mental health issues and lovingly named it after her late father.

Taraji P Henson is making it her mission to address issues of mental health and to get things started, she launched a foundation dedicated to her late father who battled with mental issues himself.

The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation plans to offer mental health services to young people in urban schools in the hopes that the rates of repeat offenders among African American men and women lower.

Taraji described her father as a man who offered unconditional love who had an “unabashed, unashamed ability to tell the truth, even if it hurt.” She also revealed his strength in overcoming his own struggles with mental health.

Boris died in 2006 after losing his battle with liver cancer. He was 58 years old. According to Taraji’s account in her memoir, ‘Around the Way Girl,’ her father who fought in the Vietnam War, “returned broken and received little to no physical and emotional support.” This has prompted her to seek and offer support for African Americans who also face trauma daily because of their skin color.

Taraji is set to launch a fundraising event on September 22 to help raise funds for her new organization. BLHF is planning to partner with school districts in providing mental health therapists, social workers and counselors.

Meanwhile, Taraji is also celebrating her recent engagement to Kelvin Hayden. Last month, she shared a video of the two of them working out together and they clearly were a perfect match. The pair aced several power-packed routines and proved their compatibility as they sweat it out.

Taraji and Kelvin had been dating for two years when Kelvin popped the question on Mother’s Day this year. An excited Taraji posted a photo of her giant sparkler to mark the special moment.

,