LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� Taraji P. Henson will receive an honorary AARP Award for eradicating the stigma around mental health within marginalized communities through her foundation that was created in honor of her father.
The organization announced Tuesday that will receive the honorary AARP Purpose Prize during the ceremony on Oct. 1 in Washington, D.C. The Oscar-nominated actor will be recognized for her work through the .
Henson said she is honored by AARP's recognition of her foundation's efforts. She hopes the organization's platform will put a spotlight on mental health and encourage people to be 鈥渙pen about discussing their struggles and ultimately receiving help.鈥�
Henson's foundation, which launched in 2018, honors the legacy of her father, who battled untreated mental health issues after returning from the Vietnam War. The foundation focuses on providing mental health resources and encouraging members of marginalized communities to seek help and support without fear and shame.
The actor said her foundation's mission has been to 鈥渆radicate the stigma around mental illness.鈥�
Last year, Henson's foundation partnered with Alabama State University on mental . She was honored by the Boston-based in 2000 for her work to end the stigma around mental illness.
Henson was nominated for an Oscar for 2008鈥檚 鈥淭he Curious Case of Benjamin Button.鈥� She co-starred in the 2016 film 鈥淗idden Figures,鈥� which followed three African American mathematicians at NASA who played a key role in the early days of the U.S. space program. Henson won a 2016 Golden Globe for her role as Cookie Lyon in television鈥檚 鈥淓mpire鈥� series.
Seven individuals will be awarded the AARP Purpose Prize, which honors people ages 50 and older who are making a difference through their 鈥渒nowledge and life experience.鈥� Each of their organizations will receive $50,000. They are:
1. Jon Eldan of Oakland whose provides free post-release support for individuals nationwide who were imprisoned for crimes they did not commit.
2. Robert Elkin of Dallas whose works to increase electoral participation in underrepresented communities, primarily youth and people of color.
3. Renee Fluker of Detroit whose convenes high school seniors twice weekly for structured life skill sessions, communal dining experiences, professional golf instruction, mentorship and college readiness initiatives.
4. Gemma M. Garcia of Miami whose empowers women by providing incarceration-to-community wraparound services.
5. Jennifer Jacobs of Falls Church, Virginia, whose creates scalable tools to help keep kids in foster care connected to their people.
6. Jim Ansara of Beverly, Massachusetts, whose l improves access to and builds capacity for dignified, affordable and high-quality health care infrastructure in resource-constrained settings around the world.
7. Calvin Mackie of New Orleans whose looks to inspire future innovators, creators, makers and entrepreneurs through STEM-based activities and to create opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math.
AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins applauded the recipients for their efforts. She was impressed with their ability to 鈥渃reate new solutions for how people live and age and solve pressing social problems.鈥�
Jonathan Landrum Jr., The Associated Press
