10/21/2026
In small towns, where toughness, independence, and hard work are often celebrated, it’s important to remember that strength isn't just about what you can carry. It's also about knowing when you don't have to carry it alone. Kareem's presentation was a reminder that men don't have to be the strong one all the time. Even the people everyone relies on need someone to lean on.
Kareem and his mom, Cass Walton with Su***de Prevention Partnership, are a powerful force fighting su***des in our region. Thank you for what you do! ❤
đź’™ **When lived experience opens the door to conversation, powerful things happen.**
Cass had the incredible opportunity to share a breakout session alongside her son, **Kareem**, at the **Teller County Su***de Prevention Awareness Symposium**—screening his documentary, *Pedicures Are for Boys*, followed by an honest community conversation about **masculinity, mental health, vulnerability, and stigma.**
What made this moment especially meaningful was getting to experience it side-by-side as mother and son—and watching Kareem use his voice and his story to challenge the idea that vulnerability makes us weak.
Because boys deserve permission to talk.
Men deserve permission to feel.
And all of us deserve spaces where we can show up as our whole selves. đź’™
A special shoutout to the **Teller County Mental Health Alliance** for creating space for these important conversations and bringing our community together around su***de prevention and mental health.
And we are incredibly grateful for our partners at **Youth Documentary Academy**, whose work empowers young people to tell their own stories, spark dialogue, and help us see the world—and each other—a little differently.
**This is what connection looks like. This is what prevention looks like. And it starts with giving people a safe space to speak.**
***dePrevention
