September 14th 2023.
Actress Taraji P. Henson is passionate about promoting mental health in the Black community, and has partnered with American retailer Kate Spade New York to launch an initiative for women at HBCUs.
The "She Care Wellness Pods" program was inaugurated at Alabama State University in April, and will now be extended to Hampton University in Virginia. The Wellness Pods contain services such as free therapy sessions, hangout spaces for students to connect with peers, yoga, meditation, art, and drama therapy.
Certified practitioners will also provide African dance and nutrition, as well as workshops to tackle anxiety, sleep deprivation, and insomnia. There will also be quiet spaces for students to take a break from their daily stresses.
Henson and her foundation, The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, are collaborating with Kate Spade New York to spread awareness and support for mental health in Black communities.
"Black women, from a very young age, are taught to be strong and dismiss their own suffering, tending to the needs of family and community often at the expense of their own well-being," said Tracie Jade, Executive Director of the foundation. "The She Care Wellness pods seek to change this narrative."
The pods were designed by students to create a safe, peaceful, and joyful space. Each mural was painted on the outside of the containers to represent the diversity of the campus.
Henson hopes that these pods will help women to begin their journey towards mental wellness. "I can remember through my own experiences with stress and anxiety, not having the adequate support to deal with my issues or the education to name what I was experiencing," said Henson.
With this partnership, Henson and Kate Spade New York are making a difference in the mental health of the Black community. They hope to continue to expand the She Care Wellness Pods to more HBCUs in the future.
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