Dolton library trustee urges more support spaces for men

Danny Fields, trustee for the Dolton Library, said in brief recorded remarks that men in Dolton need more opportunities to talk and process emotions. “We need somebody to talk to,” he said, adding that “some of us just go in the closet and cry by ourself.”

Fields identified himself as a Dolton resident of about eight years and said he felt internal pressure to attend despite personal hesitation, telling the gathering that “someone's trying to keep me from coming here” and explaining he often arrives late. He said he came to “feel the energy around the room and see what type of people you guys are.”

Fields framed his comments around emotional and social support for men rather than proposing a specific program or formal request in the recorded remarks. The transcript does not record any motion, formal proposal, or next steps tied to his comments, and no other speakers or responses are recorded in the provided excerpt.

The remarks point to a common role libraries play as community hubs for informal support and conversation; Fields spoke in his capacity as a library trustee but did not describe any planned library-sponsored program or funding. The transcript contains no follow-up direction from officials, no vote, and no timetable for action.