International Men’s Day: Is it still relevant?
We asked 4 members of our Black men in PR community for their thoughts and this is what they had to say:
What does International Men's Day mean to you?
“International Men’s Day is a moment to celebrate the complexity of manhood—its strength, its vulnerability, and its evolving definition. For me, it’s also a chance to spotlight Black men whose stories often go unheard, to challenge stereotypes, and to remind us all that manhood isn’t monolithic or deemed too slow to change. It’s about progress, not perfection. As James Baldwin once said, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” Richard Etienne
“International Men’s Day is important as it serves as a reminder to all men to prioritise their wellbeing whether that be through physical exercise or unlearning the many ills of patriarchy. It also provides the opportunity for many important discussions to take place around masculinity and what it is to be a man - how you show up in the world as man and how you show up for others too.” Khalid Agyemang
“In utter honesty, the popularisation of International Men's Day feels like more of a response to International Women's Day, though I'm sure that's not the root of its origin. With that in mind, I think it has become a point of focus to strongly consider who we are as men and how we should be impacting society for the betterment of all.” Warren Davis
“International Men’s day is an important day to reflect upon and given recognition to the positive contributions that men make to society and the lives of their loved ones.” Preston Onyechere
How can we get more Black men working in communications?
“Representation starts with visibility and access. Many Black men don’t see themselves reflected in comms roles or perceive it as a viable career. To change that, we need relatable role models and targeted outreach that highlights the value of their lived experiences in storytelling and strategy. Personally, I’ve made it a point to mentor Black male graduates, often reminding them that their unique voice is their greatest asset in shaping narratives that resonate.” Richard Etienne
We can get more black men into PR/Comms by sharing success stories with other black men letting them know that working in this field is a viable option, also by being in greater positions of power (senior leadership roles) within PR/Comms to increase greater equity. Khalid Agyemang
“It starts from leadership and an authentic intention to involve and see black men succeed in Comms. Implementation of plans and initiatives to recruit black talent, combined with the advertisement of compelling opportunities to black men should help increase the size of the talent pool.” Warren Davis
“As with many careers, the key is visibility so we as a network must continue to ‘PR’ comms as a career option and map out the job landscape to those at entry level to help them best combine their skills with their interests.” Preston Onyechere
When was the last time you had a positive conversation about being a man or masculinity?
“Only the other week, I spoke with a friend about how we’ve grown to redefine masculinity—letting go of stoicism and embracing emotional openness. We laughed about the fact that one of our most "manly" moments was offering support to each other during COVID lockdown. As Toni Morrison said, “If you wanna fly, you got to give up the things that weigh you down.” For us, shedding outdated notions of masculinity has been liberating.” Richard Etienne
“I regularly have conversations with family and friends about being a man and what that entails, the one takeaway I get from these conversations is that I can be the type of man I want to be and not who society says I have to be, which at times can be difficult. However, it’s very liberating!” Khalid Agyemang
“I had was a great conversation with my friends from church (a group of men and women) we were discussing the personal qualities of men that we really value (leadership, accountability, emotional intelligence etc). Overall really refreshing to hear perspectives that we don't hear enough about online.” Warren Davis
“Me and my brother have regular chats as the youngest two boys in a family of five. We discuss our role as the men in the family, including taking pride in setting a good example for our nieces and nephews but also the burdens of expectations to succeed career-wise. These thoughts can be a great source of motivation but sometimes difficult to navigate which is why it’s great to be able to confide in someone.” Preston Onyechere