Subscribe
Follow Us
Actress and Howard University alumna Taraji P. Henson is bringing her SheCare wellness pods to Baltimore. To help bring mental health resources to HBCU campuses, Henson is partnering with Coppin State University. Coppin State is the fourth HBCU to receive the SheCare wellness pods courtesy of the Boris L. Henson Foundation.
Per the university website, the SheCare wellness pods “will offer a variety of services, including counseling, workshops, and wellness activities, with a focus on promoting emotional well-being and resilience, particularly for women.” Among those services, free therapy, guided yoga, and sound healing will be provided. The purpose of the pods is to help students “manage stress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges” by offering them a “safe and nurturing environment.” The initiative’s goal is to reach more than 25,000 Black women on HBCU campuses.
The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, the university, Kate Spade New York, and its executive director, Tracie Jade Jenkins—who also happens to be Henson's best friend—have partnered to create the pods. In remembrance of her father's struggle with mental health following the Vietnam War, Henson started the foundation in 2018.
“Motivated by their own experiences and the glaring absence of culturally relevant mental health support, they [Henson and Jenkins] took a bold step forward and established BLHF with a clear mission: to destigmatize mental health within BIPOC and underrepresented communities and enhance accessibility,” the foundation’s website reads.
Coppin State now joins Alabama State University, Hampton University, and Bennett College as HBCUs that have the SheCare wellness pods. According to Coppin State, it’s the first university to receive the indoor versions.
“Coppin decided to repurpose an indoor space on our campus, which allows year-round usage without interruption and increases the impact of the services being provided,” a news release from the university reads.
When she’s not being a mental health advocate, Henson is a six-time Emmy Award-nominated actress. Before she transferred to Howard to study drama, she attended North Carolina A&T State University to study electrical engineering. Henson has over 70 acting credits and has starred in several well-known television shows and movies, including Sister Sister, Smart Guy, Baby Boy, Hidden Figures, the Think Like a Man franchise, Person of Interest, The Color Purple, and Abbott Elementary.
Alongside her mental health advocacy, Henson will also be Spelman College's Spring commencement speaker.
