ELKHART, Ind. (WNDU) – An event this weekend aims to put men’s mental health front and center with the message “It’s ok for men to cry.”
The Mental Health Breakfast is scheduled for Saturday, June 6, at 9 a.m. at the Roosevelt Center, 215 E. Indiana Avenue in Elkhart. The event is free with registration.
House of Proverbs, in conjunction with the 100 Black Sons Initiative, Gentlemen & Scholars, Delta Pi Omega Chapter of Iota Phi Theta, and Delta Pi Omega Iotas are hosting the event focused on real conversations, real healing, and real brotherhood.
Eric Ivory, president and CEO of House of Proverbs, said the event challenges long-held beliefs about men and emotions.
“I think for far too long we’ve bought into this narrative that it’s not ok for men to cry,” Ivory said. “I think for a long time the narrative has been that men have to suffer in silence and not talk about the things that matter the most and so the most important piece about this is setting the table for a conversation and having a conversation for some of the things that matter.”
Ivory said solutions are found in conversations.
“Our goal today is for Saturday to set the table and have a conversation and truly to inspire some level of cognitive restructuring in terms of how you approach mental health,” he said.
Robert Taylor, one of the organizers and president of the 100 Black Sons Initiative, said the nonprofit focuses on community, family, friends and the youth.
“We just opened up a brick and mortar in Elkhart; we opened up our library a few weeks ago,” Taylor said. “We have The House of Heroes which honors African Americans who have contributed to the city of Elkhart, in a few weeks we will launch a community center where people can come in and get on computers, do job work, whatever they need to do.”
Taylor said the organization is also launching its first youth business entrepreneurship program next week. The seven-week program is for 14- to 18-year-olds who want to learn how to create a business.
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