Men of colour
Men of colour have long carried the weight of silent suffering, their voices muted by the heavy expectation to embody unwavering strength. In a world where masculinity is equated with stoicism, their pain is often disregarded, dismissed, or ignored. The trauma they endure, whether it be from systemic racism, historical violence, or personal abuse, remains buried deep within, festering in the shadows of forced silence.
They are told to be warriors, resilient and unyielding, but this expectation crushes their spirit, leaving them alone with their scars. Vulnerability is seen as weakness, so their cries for help go unheard, their tears unseen, their stories untold. The deep emotional pain they carry is dismissed by a society that expects them to endure without breaking, to suffer in silence without seeking comfort.
This silence, however, is not born of strength; it is the product of a world that denies them the right to heal. By demanding silence, society strips Indigenous men of their humanity, perpetuating the cycle of pain and invisibility. Yet beneath the silence lies a profound depth of emotion, a longing to be heard, understood, and embraced for all they are, warriors, yes, but also men who feel, who hurt, who need to heal.