Do you remember the 1980’s hit song, “Let’s Hear It for the Boy”? In it, singer Deniece Williams expresses her unconditional love for the man she referred to as “the boy.” It didn’t matter that he wasn’t rich, didn’t talk sweet, didn’t dress fine, sang off-key, or anything else. What really mattered was that he was important to her, and she wanted to affirm and applaud him before others. Borrowing the catchphrase from this song, we have chosen the theme, Let’s Hear It for the Warriors. During this month, Men’s Health Month, we are honoring our men, especially American Indian men, who are often referred to as warriors. Through this theme, we are reminding our men of how important they are to us. The goal of the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board’s (SPTHB) Making Connections for Mental Health and Wellbeing Among Men and Boys in the U.S. initiative is to empower American Indian men and boys to be healthy in body, mind, and spirit. As part of this grant, each year, we plan activities to coincide with Men’s Health Month. This year, we have planned a men’s health campaign around our theme.
What You can Expect During Our June Let’s Hear It for the Warriors Campaign:
The campaign includes a webinar each Wednesday in June with a topic related to men’s health; a weekly theme and photos linked to the overall theme and webinar, along with a different hue of blue, the color used to promote men’s health; and social media posts with links to blogs, video clips, and an interview. Most of this information will also be on SPTHB’s website.
What You Can Do to Help Promote our Let’s Hear It for the Warriors Campaign:
- Register for our weekly webinars using the Zoom links you will receive via emails, social media, or on our website, and encourage others to register.
- Share the emails, videos, and social media posts you will be receiving from us in June.
- Watch the videos, read the weekly blogs, and listen to the featured interview.
- Like our posts on the various social media platforms and engage with us.
- Show your warrior and other warriors how important they are to you, and encourage and promote their mental, physical, and spiritual health and wellbeing.
Come on, let’s repeat our campaign theme on the count of three: one, two, three, all together: Let’s Hear It for the Warriors!
Susan Gay is the project leader for the grant Making Connections for Mental Health and Wellbeing Among Men and Boys in the U.S. This grant is funded by the Movember Foundation in collaboration with the Prevention Institute.
