
Taraji Is Providing A Healing Outlet For Us All With Her New Mental Health Show

Mental health has been on Taraji P. Henson's emergency radar lately, as she has been using her platform to take the stigma head-on. She's taking a moment to live where mental health resides, and she is not even close to slowing down, as sis is on a mission to normalize the importance of unpacking our trauma and leaning into our true toxic-less selves.
And she's done so everywhere she goes.
After all, she had shifted her brand to educating the black community on learning to lean into their true selves, inspiring her to tackle mental illness advocacy off-screen. In 2018, she launched The Boris Lawrence Foundation, a mental health nonprofit in honor of her father, Vietnam War veteran Boris Lawrence Henson, who himself, suffered from his own mental health challenges.
But Henson wasn't done yet.
After splitting with fiance, Kelvin Hayden, Henson had a breakthrough. She told The Breakfast Club:
"I haven't said it yet, but it didn't work out. And I tried. I said therapy. Let's do the therapy thing. But if you're both not on the same page with that, then you feel like you're taking it on yourself. and that's not fair position for anybody to play in a relationship. You have to still stand up for yourself and be there for yourself. And that's hard to do if the other person isn't doing their part either. That's why relationships are so difficult. They're difficult."
So, the only thing left for Taraji to do, was to talk about it.
Taraji loaded up her Emmys and grabbed entrepreneur, Tracie Jade Jenkins, and together, they decided to shine a bright light on mental health in a new Facebook Watch show, Peace of Mind with Taraji. The show airs new episodes every Monday and Wednesday, and will feature Henson and Jenkins interviewing celebrities such as Gabrielle Union, Mary J. Blige and Jay Pharaoh, licensed therapists, and everyday people, discussing a variety of wellness topics--meaning, sis took her anxiety and depression, and flipped it into a safe space for the culture.
Tamar Braxton was a recent guest on the show and, as most of us know, she was a perfect topic to divulge into due to her tough year (Braxton tried to commit suicide in July). Braxton opened up about her suicide attempt and began discussing what was going through her mind prior to the act, causing her to break down in tears.
It was then that Taraji said:
"Earlier this year Tamar's mental health struggles made headlines, but we wanted to offer her a safe space to tell HER side of the story."
She continued:
"I love that she felt safe enough to come here with us. Because anyone that comes here, they are safe. I'm not some celebrity that just slap my name on this talk show. I am literally struggling myself."
And this is the point of this show: to have the open dialogue, to start the conversation. Peace of Mind with Taraji will be another outlet for Henson to raise awareness and change the narrative around mental illness in the Black community. And Taraji is thrilled to step up to the plate.
"Therapy is important because you need and objective opinion. [Talking to] your friends ain't it, baby. It ain't it. Because guess what: your friends are traumatized too, and all they're doing is projecting their trauma onto you."
Whew, #wigadjust
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Feature image screenshot via Facebook Watch
Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube
Colman Domingo’s Career Advice Is A Reminder That Our Words Shape Our Reality
When it comes to life, we are always here for a good reminder to shift our mindsets, and Colman Domingo just gave us one we didn't know we needed.
In a resurfaced clip from an appearance at NewFest shared as a repost via Micheaux Film Festival, the Emmy award winner dropped a gem on how he has navigated his decades-spanning career in Hollywood. The gem in question? Well, Colman has never identified with "struggle" in his career. Let that sit.
Colman Domingo On Not Claiming Struggle
"I’ve never said that this career was tough. I’ve never said it was difficult. I’ve never said it was hard," Colman said. "Other people would say that—‘oh, you're in a very difficult industry. It's very hard to get work and book work.’ I’m like, I’ve never believed that."
Instead of allowing himself to be defined by other people's projections about their perceptions of what the industry is or was, Colman dared to believe differently even if his reality was playing catch up with his dreams:
"Like Maya Angelou said words are things. And if you believe that, then that's actually what it is. Actually I've just never believed it. Someone told me some years ago, they said, 'I remember you were, you're a struggling actor.' I'm like, 'I don't.'"
"I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living..."
He continued:
"Even when I was bartending and hustling and not having opportunities or anything, I never believed that I was struggling because I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living and creating and being curious."
Colman’s philosophy of attaching to living instead of struggle has blossomed into an enduring career. He first made his mark on stage in acclaimed Broadway productions before transitioning to the screen, where his star began to rise in the 2010s following his role as Victor Strand in Fear The Walking Dead. From there, his presence only grew, landing memorable supporting roles in If Beale Street Could Talk, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and the hit series Euphoria.
In more recent years, Colman has stepped fully into the spotlight with standout leading performances in Rustin and Sing Sing, both of which earned him widespread critical acclaim and Academy Award nominations for Best Actor.
With all that said, Colman's advice is no doubt powerful, especially for those who are chasing their dreams, building something from the ground up, or have question marks about what's next in their careers. Words shape our realities, and how we speak about our journeys even in passing matters.
Words Create Our Reality & Colman Is Living Proof
"I tell young people that. To remember the words that you say about yourself and your career are true. So, I choose to make it full of light and love and it's interesting and every day I'm going to learn something new even if it looks like I don't have what I want but it's important to be in the moment... you really build on the moments moment to moment.
"And you're looking back at your career as I've been in it for what 33 years and you're like, 'Wow, that's what I've been doing.' And I've stayed strong to that so I think that is truly my advice."
Let this be your sign to give your path a reframe. When the path you're on feels uncertain, the journey is still unfolding. Like Colman said: "I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living."
That's a Black king right there.
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Featured image by Soul Brother/Soul B Photos/Shutterstock