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Vol. 57, No. 30 • May 12 - 18, 2022
Taraji P. Henson Highlights Power of Faith in Address to Howard University Grads
154th Commencement Convocation Brings Closure to an Eventful Year Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
5 Taraji P. Henson receives honorary doctorate from her alma mater, Howard University, presented by the school’s president Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick, before delivering 2022 commencement address. (Photo courtesy Howard Universioty)
District Women React to Possible Gutting of Roe v. Wade James Wright WI Staff Writer Women in the District continue to express outrage over the possibility that the 1973 case, Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion, could be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court next month. “I am extremely shocked,” said Vicki WrightSmith, a former Ward 1 advisory neighborhood commissioner and an attorney practicing in the District. “Frankly, I never saw it coming. The justices really seem bent on overturning Roe v. Wade. I am holding out hope that doesn’t happen because it is not just abortion but other rights that are also at stake.”
DC ABORTION Page 20
4 A health official said Black youth were in crisis long before COVID-19 devastated the world but no national public health crisis was called. (Photo courtesy psycom.net)
For award-winning actress, filmmaker, philanthropist, entrepreneur and Howard University (HU) alumna Taraji P. Henson, the road to an HU fine arts diploma and future Hollywood stardom included an attempt at electrical engineering at North Carolina A& State University, an unexpected pregnancy and uncertainty about how she would complete her studies. As she reflected on her success, Henson recognized Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen for the scholarship they provided in their father’s name which paved the way for her 1995 graduation. She also thanked her late father Boris Henson who, along with legions of immediate and extended family members, encouraged her to take on Hollywood with her then-toddler son, Marcell Johnson, and just $700 to her name.
COMMENCEMENT Page 34
Teen Mental Health Crisis Continues to Alarm Medical Officials Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
Mental health disorders stand as a significant challenge for American teenagers, according to researchers who said the pervasiveness of such illnesses failed to be a major concern decades ago. In fact, 30 years ago, most health experts reported that primary concerns about teens included pregnancy, smoking, drunk driving and binge drinking. But the latest statistics reveal that in 2019, 13 percent of adolescents reported having a major depressive episode, which the Pew Research noted equated to a 60 percent increase from 2007.
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MENTAL HEALTH Page 40 SPELLING BEE Page 12 Metropolitan Area
