By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
While some black celebrities tend to shy away from frank discussions on race once they become successful, Taraji P. Henson is actually discussing the controversial topics in her interviews.
With police brutality becoming more and more visible in the media as result of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, Taraji says it’s one of the main reasons she encouraged her son to attend a historically black college.
She tells Uptown Magazine:
“My child has been racially profiled. He was in Glendale, California and did exactly everything the cops told him to do, including letting them illegally search his car. It was bogus because they didn’t give him the ticket for what he was pulled over for.
“Then he’s at University of Southern California, the school that I was going to transfer him to, when police stopped him for having his hands in his pockets. So guess where he’s going? Howard University. I’m not paying $50K so I can’t sleep at night wondering is this the night my son is getting racially profiled on campus.”
Taraji herself first attended North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University (Aggie Pride!) before transferring to Howard University.
Love this chick.
AGGIE PRIIIIIIIIDE!!!!!!!! I love her!!!! #HBCUlove
I know I keep saying it but I love me some Taraji so real so honest. I believe her I went to school in California for a couple of years and I have witnessed some shady sh-t.
Yes! I love to see her speaking out and encouraging other black parents to talk their kids into going to HBCUs. We need to put more money into own anyway.
She’s like my bestie in my head. LOL.
Taraji for president.
Very smart. He’ll have a better college experience at Howard anyway.
He sure will. It’s just better for us to go to college with our own.
And white folks are mad as hell about this too. LMAO
Of course they are. They get mad when we show them we don’t need them.
I freaking love her. This is a phenomenal black woman right here.
Just when I thought I couldn’t love her more. I strongly advocate all black people attend HBCU’s. The experience is like no other.
My daughter’s about to be a senior next year, and all she talks about is going to a HBCU!
PS. Love, love, love Ms Taraji. My admiration for her is through the roof.