Introducing The Lounge | A Column for Men

The world is changing. Increases in frequency and intensity of natural disasters, COVID-19 pandemic and its variants, climate change, food sovereignty and security needs, hybrid and remote learning and working, AI, and polarizing political environments have and continue to reshape our lives. These shifts have been rapid, catastrophic, transformative, and left us forever impacted.

Though technological, social, and economic changes are moving far faster than we could anticipate, we are still lagging in some key areas. One of the most prevalent deficiencies, especially in the territory, is in mental health awareness, support, and resources. Specifically for our Black men, there are few safe spaces to be vulnerable, transparent, open, and truthful about the issues they face daily.

Many cultures have long pushed the stoic, macho, hyper-aggressive, emotionally distant version of a man as the prototypical and desirable one. As men, we have gauged one another by our toughness, propensity for physical violence, physical stature, and material possessions. Many women use the same standards to determine their interests, further engraining an ideal that is both antiquated and destructive to the individual and their relationships. We all must do better.