Lewis urges Brown School graduates to ask for help, embrace the journey

Actress, activist and author Jenifer Lewis gave a heartfelt, humorous and candid speech to the Brown School Class of 2025, urging graduates to take care of their mental health, lead with love, and, above all, “avoid getting stuck in traffic.” 

Lewis, a native of Kinloch, Missouri, with nearly five decades in show business, spoke before graduates and their families and friends at the Brown School’s Recognition Ceremony May 10 at the Athletic Complex Field House on the Danforth Campus. 

She credited three simple words for helping her navigate the highs and lows of her show business career: “I need help.” 

“In 1991 at the height of the AIDS epidemic, I had what we used to call a nervous breakdown,” Lewis told the crowd. “That very day, I got up off the floor and somehow, I found the courage to dig down deep into my soul to say three of the most powerful words on planet Earth: ‘I need help.'”

Diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1992, Lewis described her early struggles with therapy and mental illness, sharing raw and often funny moments from her healing process. 

In recounting her first therapy session, Lewis said she repeatedly told her therapist she was late for the appointment because of traffic, until finally shouting, “Because I don’t want to talk about my childhood.”

“From then on, I think she scheduled her personal therapy sessions right after mine,” Lewis joked. 

Lewis used the metaphor of traffic throughout her speech as a call to self-awareness and reflection. “Do everything in your power not to get stuck in traffic — be it a plane, train, Uber or scooter,” she said.  

Ask yourself: Who is stuck? Who wants a fast fix? Who is hoping for a shortcut to greatness? 

She encouraged graduates to embrace the difficult questions. “There was nothing easy about looking in the mirror and asking, ‘Did this happen to me, or did it happen for me?'” she said. “The fact that I’m here with you today, truly happier than I have ever been, answers that question for me.”

Lewis also shared a harrowing story from 2022, when she fell from a hotel balcony during a trip to Tanzania. She landed on her right buttock, fracturing her hip socket. The injury required a 12-hour surgery in Nairobi, Kenya, followed by 14 months without walking and a two-year recovery process. 

“My friends would later say, ‘Only you, Jenifer, how much attention do you need?'” she said with a laugh. 

Despite the pain, Lewis said the experience gave her a new perspective. “Lying in bed forced me to become an observer of life, a human being as opposed to a human doing.”

“Oh, Class of 2025—one day, you may stumble into a pit of wild animals, so with every step you take, pay attention. You’re about to venture into an unknown world—and oh, what an unknown it is. You’ve studied hard and you’ve earned your own arsenal of tools. Go out there and apply them with grace and compassion,” Lewis said.

She concluded her speech with a message of resilience and purpose: “Self-care is always first, so that your mind, body and spirit will be aligned to walk through come what may. All things occur for the purpose of enlightenment. No matter where you go, lead with love and let your light shine — and last but certainly not least, please leave an hour early and don’t get stuck in traffic.”

On Monday, May 12, during WashU’s 164th Commencement ceremony, Lewis received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree.

About Jenifer Lewis

Dubbed a National Treasure and a force to be reckoned with, award-winning actress/ activist, and author, Jenifer Lewis, star of the 8 seasoned hit TV show Black-ish, has appeared in over 400 episodic television shows, 68 movies, 143 animations, and 4

Broadway shows.

Most recently she starred as ‘Patricia’ in the Showtime series “I Love That For You.” Jenifer has performed in more than 200 concerts worldwide including, sold out audiences at Lincoln Center and an electrifying standing ovation at Carnegie Hall.

Her accomplishments as an entertainer and community activist have been recognized with an honorary doctorate from her Alma Mater, Webster University and the Career Achievement Award from The American Black Film Festival. On Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, The King Center for Non-Violent Social Change awarded Jenifer with the Yolanda D. King Higher Ground Award.

In November 2022, Jenifer published her second critically acclaimed book “Walking in my Joy: In These Streets”and was honored by the Congressional Black Caucus. Jenifer received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame July 15, 2022. She was born and raised in Kinloch, Missouri.