HAMPTON, Va. — There’s a push to improve mental health on Hampton University’s campus and it’s part of an effort by award-winning actress Taraji P. Henson to support young women at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Thursday, students at Hampton University gave Henson a warm welcome, as she and others cut the ribbon on new resources to support mental health and wellness.
The She Care Wellness Pod is a first-of-its-kind initiative brought by a partnership between Henson’s organization, the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation and kate spade new york
They aim to bring mental wellness care to 25,000 Black women on HBCU campuses across the country.
Henson, who attended Howard University, said her own experiences helped shape her mission, along with the understanding of the dire need to support communities of color.
“You know when you see the numbers and how we are suffering more than any other demographic, you feel compelled to do, feel like saying something,” she said “I have a platform, and this is how I am choosing to use it.”
Hampton is the second university to get the pods.
President Darrell K. Williams, who studied psychology at Hampton, said mental health was a top priority when he became the school’s president in 2022.
“The message it sends to students: mental is important. You don’t have to suffer in silence,” he said. “How can you provide the best experience for students in America and not talk about the issue of mental health?”
Full of color on the outside, the pods offer a safe space for students in need of connection and support.
The program offers free therapy sessions to female students experiencing stress and anxiety. The pods will also offer programming including yoga, meditation, art and drama therapy led by certified practitioners.
“You are worthy of your own healing,” said Taryn Bird, executive director of social impact at kate spade new york. “You are worthy of every single ounce of healing that is poured into you whether you are doing that or someone else is doing that while you gain your own strength.”
Henson launched her foundation in honor of her late father, who faced mental health challenges after serving in the Vietnam War. Now, she hopes to bring a sense of joy and support to young people of color.
“I just feel like my father would be very proud of me,” Henson said. “He would always say when I was a little girl, ‘When you are blessed, be a blessing.’ And I feel like that’s what I’m doing.”
Students can also participate in workshops and learn tools to help with anxiety and insomnia.