Give them their flowers
Source: IG @jcarterology
We couldn’t let National Publicist Day pass without celebrating the men who guide careers, connect move-makers with power-players, and make the “impossible” happen while navigating a notoriously thankless industry.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 73% of all publicists are white with Black men making up only 5.9% of the diversity-starved PR industry.
Taking things a step further, Dr. Chuck Wallington, EVP and Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at Cone Health, cited that Black men represent just over 3% of those employed in entry-level roles.
“There’s a lack of understanding about public relations among folks in high school,” he said based on interviews with 32 Black men working in PR. “So before you even get to college, young men just don’t have an understanding of what the profession is all about. Without that early awareness, folks are just not going be successful when they go into the field. It’s hard to attract people into the field, and when they get there, they tend to flounder around.”
Wallington, whose graduate study research centered around the lack of Black men in PR, also pointed to the lack of available mentors to Black men in PR.
“There’s a shortage of colleagues, especially Black men, who can be mentors, who can be sponsors, who can be role models, who can be allies,” he said. “When this happens, Black men feel alone; they feel isolated. There’s no one else there who can relate to them, to their experiences, and to their journeys.”
With that said, it’s only right that we celebrate the Black male publicists, deal-closers, and doers making power moves in the entertainment industry on the flip.
Trell Thomas, Found of Black Excellence Brunch
J. Carter, Founder of ONE Musicfest
Jarvis George, VibesInAtlanta
Tulashi Sawyerr, Moët Hennessy
Dane Young, Founder of B Young Agency
Branden Peters, Director of Publishing at Red Bull Media House/Co-owner Draught Season
Nate Hinton, The Hinton Group
Nick Love, Product Manager at ONErpm Urban
Lamarco McClendon, Netflix
Andre Barnes, The Elixir Media Group, LLC
Savoy Jefferson, Principal Publicist at Savoy Jefferson Public Relations
Maurice ‘Moetown’ Lee, Partner at ONE Musicfest
Kevin McIntosh Jr., KMJR Consulting
Steve Canal, ONE Venture Group
Antonio Jakes, American Honda Motor Company, Inc.
Troy Brown, Founder/Creator/Investor, ONE Musicfest, ONE Venture Group, Black Promoters Collective