Lupus. Love. Life. The Remix of Resilience.

Recorded live at HealtheVoices 2025, this episode of Hip Hop Hooray! Men Talkin’ Health is a powerful conversation about faith, mental strength, chronic illness, and the will to keep going.

Host Oya Gilbert sits down with Emmitt Henderson III and Shanell Matlock, lupus warriors and advocates whose journey together proves that resilience isn’t just about surviving—it’s about purpose.

Emmitt Henderson III, founder of Male Lupus Warriors, has lived with lupus for more than 30 years and is currently facing kidney failure while recovering from major back surgery. In this episode, Emmitt shares how prioritizing mental health, holding onto faith, and staying rooted in purpose have carried him through decades of physical challenges. He is also the author of The Power in Men, available on Amazon.

Shanell Matlock is a U.S. military veteran, co-author of Veterans Unchained, and creator of the 8 Second Campaign, a movement raising awareness for kidney donation and Emmitt’s urgent need for a living donor. Together, they discuss love, partnership, advocacy, and what it means to show up for one another through chronic illness.

This episode is a reminder that pain doesn’t have to silence you—and that your story can be someone else’s survival guide.

🎙️ “God kept me here, and His will with me is not done. The back will heal. The kidney will come.” – Emmitt Henderson III

• What lupus is and how it affects the body

• Living with chronic illness for decades

• Mental health as a survival tool

• Faith, resilience, and purpose

• The mission behind Male Lupus Warriors

• The story of the 8 Second Campaign

• Turning pain into power through advocacy

🎧 Listen now on Podbean and all major podcast platforms. 📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3XZKbdZZr5g?si=Nwx_RhKmvJEQ2otp