'Empire' Star Says Black Communities Aren't Getting the Mental Health Care They Need

An Op-Ed by Taraji P. Henson

People in the African-American community have long been afraid to talk about our mental health; we just don't do it. We're told to pray it away, we're told to be strong, we're told it's a sign of weakness or, a lot of times, mental health issues comes off as "rage" and is dismissed or ignored. There’s shame and taboo around the topic.

We have to break that silence.

What made me comfortable with talking about it was that my father had issues with mental illness, and he was very vocal about it. So I never thought there was something "wrong" with either having mental health challenges or talking about it. But then, when I grew up and had my own hardships — my own traumas — and it was time to deal with them head on, there was an issue: I couldn't easily find a therapist who really understood my challenges as an African-American.

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Source: NBC News