Taraji P. Henson Reveals What Inspires Her to Do

Taraji P. Henson is fascinated by the long run and inspiring her fans to do the identical. Throughout her profession, the award-winning actress has been an advocate for causes starting from mental health to politics. Whether through her nonprofit work or public speaking, Henson explained why advocacy is so essential to her in a recent interview with Message:

“I understand that God put me here for a reason, and it wasn’t for vanity, for me to be pretty, to go on the carpets, to just get rich, buy nice things and shove it in everyone’s face,” she told the publication. “You have to empower people to be better.”

This summer, Henson raised alarm concerning the significance of the election while hosting the BET Awards. During the awards ceremony, the star went viral for shedding light on the hazards of Project 2025.

“Show up and show up when it’s time to vote, because this isn’t just about the presidential election,” Henson said. he told the audience“It’s time for us to play chess, not checkers. This is about making decisions that will affect us as people… our careers… our next generations… Be careful, this is not a secret. Check it out! They are attacking our most vulnerable citizens. The Project 2025 plan is not a game.”

Project 2025 is a conservative political platform that has been billed as a playbook for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. While former President Trump has tried to distance himself from controversial policies, his vice presidential running mate, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, has shown ties to the conservative agenda.

“I was just worried. I was nervous. Honestly, I was just talking out of anxiety. Because I thought no one was paying attention. I don’t understand a lot of the things they’re saying, but I know what’s right and what’s wrong,” she added, explaining her mind-set during her viral BET moment.

Featured Stories

In 2023, Henson also became popular for shining a lightweight on the pay inequality faced by women, particularly black women, in Hollywood. While promoting the brand new adaptation of The Color Purple, the actress revealed how the inequality nearly caused her to quit acting.

Now, almost a 12 months later, Henson hopes to finally reach some extent in her profession where she will be able to say, “You know what, I’m going to take this year (or) the next two years off,” which she calls retiring.

“When I say ‘retirement,’ I don’t mean I’ll never, ever work again. But I do want to eventually get to a place where I don’t have to act to pay the bills,” she said. “I think that’s when it’ll start being fun for me again. … I just still rely on my acting income a lot right now to pay the bills and do things. My brand is growing. Things are growing. But I don’t think sitting on my ass is an option for me.”