Students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the university gathered on the campus of Alabama State University behind Bessie Benson Hall to witness actress, producer and director Taraji P. Henson, university officials and other dignitaries formally cut the ribbon for “She Care Wellness Pods,” a new program that aims to reach over 25,000 Black women on HBCU campuses with frontline mental wellness care.
The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation (BLHF) and the Kate Spade New York Foundation teamed up to create more accessible mental health resources for women and girls, and Alabama State University is the first historically Black college and university (HBCU) to partner with the foundations. Henson was accompanied by Tracie Jade Jenkins, her best friend of over 40 years who is also the executive director of the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, Taryn Bird, who is a representative of Kate Spade New York Foundation, Joyce Loyd-Davis, D.N. director of Health Services at the university, and President Quinton T. Ross, Jr., Ed.D.
A week prior to the launch, an email was sent out to female students of Alabama State University, with over 200 slots to be claimed first come, first serve. Every slot was filled in a matter of hours, with emphasis in each email to keep the event on the downlow.
When Henson talked about the purpose of the pods, the audience could feel the passion that she possessed about this project.
“The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, myself alone, could not have written a check big enough to take care of the community,” Henson said after taking the stage. “This is a passion of mine, to save us, because we are dying at a higher rate than any other demographic because mental wellness is something we don’t talk about. I believe in Jesus, but you can’t pray mental illness away, and I know some parents don’t believe that. It might be you who starts this conversation within your family. We need more culturally competent therapists, clinicians and psychiatrists. In the field, we only represent 7% of that. It’s not enough therapists out there to attend to our issues. We need more.”
Jenkins also encouraged the women who were in attendance.
“You cannot hold a good woman down,” Jenkins said as she addressed the audience. “You know who we are. We’re nation builders, so you will take your rightful place in this legacy. The same place where these trees hold the stories of your grandmothers, grandfathers, those who came on that ship to get us here. You are blossoming, and you will be the flower that came out of that journey.”
In partnership with trusted community resources, the program will take a multifaceted approach through the opening of “She Care Wellness Pods,” physical structures installed on campuses that offer a range of services, including: free mental health virtual and in-person therapy sessions for women students experiencing an exacerbation of stress, anxiety and depression; hangout spaces will provide psychoeducation sessions that allow students to connect with peers and mental wellness professionals to address students’ specific challenges; self-regulatory practices including yoga, meditation, art, sound and dance therapy, all provided by certified practitioners; workshops and seminars on a variety of student requested topics; and rest pods for silence and respite, to reset from daily stressors.
“The Alabama State University family is honored and humbled to be selected as the first ever HBCU to partner with two amazing advocates of mental health and wellness such as the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation and Kate Spade New York Foundation,” Ross said. “ASU is synonymous with innovation and history making, working alongside our partners enables us to fulfill our commitment to what we deem as ‘Communiversity,’ which allows us to impact not only our campus but also the broader community by advocating and raising the level of awareness regarding the absolute importance of mental health and wellness.”
“The stress of balancing college life, separation anxiety, relationship issues and depression commonly occur on college campuses,” Davis said. “The She Care Wellness pods will be impactful for helping students cope with these issues and focus on a healthy mental well-being, ultimately restoring JOY.”
The She Care initiative is a continuation of Henson’s work with the Kate Spade brand, having served as a member of Kate Spade New York’s Social Impact Council since its inception in Jan. 2022. Alongside Henson, the Social Impact Council includes women’s empowerment and mental health leaders from around the globe such as Jazz Thornton, Latham Thomas, Elisha London and more, who bring unique expertise and work hand-in-hand with Kate Spade to propel positive change, and encourage more conversation, education and research around the cause.
Before the ribbon cutting, in the spirit of Black pride and Black girl magic, the Mighty Marching Hornet Honey Bees danced on stage to “Freakum Dress” by Beyonce, earning thunderous applause and cheers from the crowd. The national anthem was also performed by junior Faith Blackwell. Each performance was led by a Black woman to accentuate that their mental health was the focus of the event.
“This is a great initiative and a great addition to the campus of Alabama State University.” said sophomore Ferrin Lewis. “Black women do not take care of their mental health like they should, but also men do not take care of their mental health as well. Although this is a she-care pod, I think that the men of this campus should come out and see what the pods have.”
“I think this event is important to young women, particularly young Black women at HBCUs because they typically suffer in silence,” Junior Asia Weathers said. “And we never know what’s wrong until we speak on it and realize that other people share our problems as well. This will be a safe space that we’ve been neglected for so long.”
As the event came to a close, a few students were called up on the stage to dance to an African beat. At first the crowd was hesitant to get into it, but after seeing their peers dance their hearts out on stage, the crowd relaxed and began to follow the movements being performed on stage.
“College is vital throughout our society and to our students,” said Miss ASU Aleah Robinson, who attended the event, sporting her sash proudly. “I know with the proper mental health guides and healthcare, we can at least strive to move forward in our community as African American students.”