Taraji P. Henson is honoring her late father by paying it forward in the fight against mental health issues. According to People, Henson's father, Boris, died in 2006 at 58-years-old after battling cancer. Before that, he spent years struggling with mental health troubles.

“I named the organization after my father because of his complete and unconditional love for me; his unabashed, unashamed ability to tell the truth, even if it hurt; and his strength to push through his own battles with mental health issues,” Henson said.

Henson detailed some of these battles in her 2016 memoir Around the Way Girl. She wrote her father, a veteran, grappled with the invisible wounds of war.

“My dad fought in the Vietnam War for our country, returned broken, and received little to no physical and emotional support,” Henson wrote. “I stand now in his absence, committed to offering support to African Americans who face trauma daily, simply because they are black.”

Henson hopes her new Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation will help the black men and women she wrote about in her book. The foundation plans to focus on reducing multiple criminal offense rates for black men and women, providing mental health services to youth in urban schools and offering scholarships to black students majoring in mental health-related fields of study. 

Tracie Jenkins, who Henson has chosen to lead the foundation, said the organization also hopes to destroy the stigma around mental health issues in the black community. 

“BLHF is breaking the silence by speaking out and encouraging others to share their challenges with mental illness and get the help they need,” Jenkins said. “African Americans have regarded such communication as a sign of weakness, and our vision is to change that perception.”

Now, check these out:

Why Taraji P. Henson Deserved Better Than 'Proud Mary'

20 Powerful Lessons Every Woman Can Learn From Taraji P. Henson

Why Open Conversations About Mental Health Are Key To A Successful Relationship