Taraji P. Henson slams Project 2025 on BET Awards

Maybe it takes someone like Taraji P. Henson to get folks fired up about the dismantling of democracy.

We’ve seen celebrities discuss political issues on their social media accounts, but rarely are they as intensely outspoken in Hollywood settings. That takes another level of courage. Henson, who has been frank about the nation’s mental health crisis and pay inequities in Hollywood, used her platform as host of the BET Awards on Sunday to urge people to vote and educate themselves on the issues.

“Show up and show out when it’s time to vote because it’s not just about the presidential election, you guys. It’s time for us to play chess, not checkers. It’s about making decisions that will affect us as human beings. Our careers, our next generations to come. Did you know that it is now a crime to be homeless? Pay attention. It’s not a secret: Look it up. They are attacking our most vulnerable citizens. The Project 2025 plan is not a game. Look it up!”

Henson was referencing the draconian Project 2025, a detailed plan by ultra-conservatives to dismantle the federal government, including civil rights, women’s reproductive rights and more. The plan began trending on Google immediately after her comments.

While Texas voters under age 30 turned out in droves in the 2020 presidential election, casting more than 1.4 million ballots according to multiple voter-tracking projects, there’s now concern about voter apathy.  There are some 400,000 18-year-old U.S. citizens, according to 2022 U.S. Census Bureau data. In Texas, only about 39 % of those ages 18 to 24 were registered to vote in November 2022.

Josh Martin, a senior at the University of Houston and political director of College Democrats of America, is hopeful more students will get fired up to vote as the November election draws near.

“As time goes by, I believe more people will become engaged and see what the Project 2025 and a second Trump presidency will do,” he said. “We need to vote, and when we do vote, we need to bring five other friends to the polls.”

At the BET Awards show, Henson opened with a parody of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” changing the lyrics to “It’s About Us.” She took jab at former President Trump’s recent comment about “Black jobs.”

During the recent debate with President Biden, Trump claimed that immigrants entering the United States illegally were taking “Black jobs” and “Hispanic jobs.” But there is no evidence to suggest that those in the country unlawfully are taking jobs that would otherwise go to American citizens, or specifically Black Americans. Trump’s “Black jobs” comment touched off a host of social-media jokes and memes over what, exactly, a “Black job” is.

There’s debate about whether celebrities can influence elections, but the potential to inspire more young people to vote is real. We’ve seen that with Taylor Swift. In 2023, the singer posted a message on Instagram encouraging her followers to vote and directing them to the non-partisan, nonprofit Vote.org. The site recorded more than 35,000 registrations as a result.

Martin helped register more than 2,000 students, which resulted in an on-campus voting increase of 107 percent, he said.

“What people are looking for is leadership, so whenever they see celebrities speak out, it encourages more people to get involved and make their voices heard,” he said.

Martin voted for the first time on his 18th birthday in 2020.

With the presidential election months away, it’s hard to tell if Henson will move the needle, but information is powerful. So if her words inspire more people to do their homework and vote, that is a win.

“I’m not trying to scare us. I’m trying to inform us,” Henson said. “I’m talking to the mad people who don’t want to vote. You’re gonna be mad about a lot of things if you don’t vote.”