Taraji P. Henson

Personal context

Summary

Taraji P. Henson is an actor and producer known for Empire, Hidden Figures, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Her roles often center on forceful women and black women’s experiences. She founded the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation to address mental-health stigma and access to culturally relevant care in black and underserved communities, and has testified to Congress on black Americans’ mental-health needs. She has repeatedly spoken about pay inequity for black women and representation in Hollywood, and appeared in a 2016 campaign ad endorsing Hillary Clinton.