JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On the surface, it looked like a day of friendly competition, laughter, and games. But organizers say a Men’s Mental Health Awareness Field Day held in Jacksonville was built around a much deeper mission: breaking the silence surrounding men’s mental health.
The event, hosted by the Dakota Love Foundation Inc., brought together fathers, mentors, and community members to encourage open conversations about emotional well-being and support systems for men.
“In our community, so many young men are suffering in silence, and they have no one to talk to,” said Carla Sheppard, founder of the Dakota Love Foundation Inc.
Sheppard said she created the event to give men a safe space to speak openly about their struggles and connect with resources they may not otherwise access.
“A lot of times they don’t have the information when they need help. They don’t know who to go to to get help,” Sheppard said. “Plus it gives them a platform to voice their opinions, their concerns, and then they get feedback or they get the information that they need for the motivation.”
Participants said the event offered both community and perspective.
“It lets me know that the community cares about me and understands that it’s important that we check on each other every day,” said Black Phoenix Performance Collective Owner Keiwon Brown.
He also said men are often expected to appear strong without showing vulnerability.
“Naturally, men are looked at as strong individuals, so a lot of times we keep our emotions built up and quiet inside, which is not a healthy way to go about living in the world,” he described. “So a lot of times we don’t understand or even know how to get in contact with resources to help us talk through our issues or even people that would even we think understand us. So it’s healthy to have these conversations.”
Mental health experts have long warned that men are less likely to seek help for emotional struggles, often due to stigma or social expectations around masculinity.
Sheppard said one of the biggest misconceptions is that men should “man up” instead of expressing their emotions.
“A man has the opportunity to express his feelings, his emotions, or at least cry,” she said.
Organizers said the goal of the field day was not just awareness, but connection — helping men understand they are not alone and encouraging them to seek help when needed.
For many participants, the message was simple: strength is not silence.
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