Being named a Golden Globe Ambassador is not only an honor for a Hollywood teen or young adult, but also something of a modern-day debutante "coming out" party, and also like winning a pageant in that the selected individual can use their platform to raise awareness of a pet cause. "Mental health, specifically among African Americans and my peers in particular, is something I really want to be more vocal about," 2019 Golden Globe Ambassador Isan Elba told Variety. "There's this perceived stigma and I've seen friends struggle. We need to empower young people to not be afraid to ask for help."

At a Golden Globes-related luncheon in 2019, Elba explained why bringing mental health discussions into the open is so important to her. "It was only about two years ago that my mom opened up to me," Elba said (via People), of Hanne "Kim" Norgaard and her struggles with depression, bipolar depression, and anxiety. "We just sat down and talked about it, and I think that was better for her, talking about it and talking about it with someone who means the most in her life and just getting that out."

During that same luncheon, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (the group that runs the Golden Globes) pledged $50,000, in Elba's honor, to the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, an organization that advocates for changing attitudes toward mental health in the African-American community.