Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine Buccello.
Catherine Buccello is an advocate, content creator, event curator, and dot connector based in Queens, New York. As the founder of #BlackMenCryToo, she is dedicated to documenting the Black male experience through interviews and resources.
The trend that started #BlackMenCryToo was the level of comfort black men had in opening up about their truth with no qualms. After sitting on a curated Mental Health Panel for #DazeSummit under former Curated Vibes Group (An events agency catered to creating genuine connections and resources for emerging creatives of color) a friend stated “I see a lot of focus on mental health these days, but the focus is dominantly on black women, what about the men? Black Men Cry Too.” Insert the mind-blown emoji. The truth was, this was not Catherine’s first experience with that truth, as a freshman in high school she lost a best friend, to suicide, a man of color. As an adult looking back, the signs were there but you do not understand them at that age. To this day she sleeps with her phone on loud, due to that painful experience by waking up to his voicemail due to her phone accidentally being on silent.
Without realizing, Catherine began acting as a safe space engaging in dialogue with a lot of men of color around experiences in their lives. The platform was created to show vulnerability from men and representation of a black woman being able to have dialogue around heavy conversations, actively listening & displaying allyship to encourage healing within the black male community. While supporting alleviating the negative stigmas around masculinity and mental health from a community that suffers and endures the most injustice in this country.
Known for her bright hair and brighter personality, Catherine is committed to diversifying corporate communities and advocating for self-expression. If she’s not creating space, she’s dancing, traveling, or ordering something dark at the bar.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being a person of color in this country, nothing is a smooth road lol. When it comes to advancing in your profession you run into the adversity, the passive aggressiveness, the run-around, overlooked and passed over when it comes to your progression. I am a biracial woman, who rocks colorful hair and works in tech in a client-facing position. I had to not only prove my worth as a woman of color, but a woman of color who chooses to present herself the way she does, so not only am I in a position where I should just feel lucky to be there, I am not fitting the “norm” or playing it “Safe”. I constantly used and channel my voice to speak out and up against what is right. The first time I did this, the retail company I worked for, found a way to fire me, however this has not stopped me and instead helped solidify what I am an agent of, change and equality. In and out of the workplace. I became heavily involved in ERG (employee resource groups) and have made some heavy waves and changes in my last place of employment before the lay off due to covid and I plan to continue the momentum in my new place of employment. For my personal brand, it was me learning my purpose and trying and testing different things until finding the one that fit to my passion. I even had a company with friends, and learning how to navigate friendship within business is a struggle within itself, and when it comes to collaboration learning how and who to work with and ensuring alignment is real and solid.
I have had my share of public personal romantic relationships falling apart and taking a personal toll on my profession as well as. attempt to deter me from my goals. I have and still have my fair share of family drama that is unexpected and hurtful and consume your mind.
#BlackMenCryToo – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My brand #BlackMenCryToo is an invitation for men of color to feel safe to share their truth and unpack their hurt. This space was created as an invitation for black men to feel empowered to share their truth and know it’s okay, that they can cry too. #BlackMenCryToo is a digital video series dedicated to helping men of color share their truth and unpack their hurt. Streaming on YouTube and Instagram TV, #BMCT empowers Black men to explore their feelings in a safe space. From stereotyping to code-switching to relationships and fatherhood, we want Black men to know: it’s okay to cry, too.
What sets me apart is that the spaces that are created for men of color to be able to speak outward and openly are just backed by black men and there are still very few spaces that exist. I wanted to generate this as a video series to be able to show the vulnerability on their faces, show men of different walks of life and statute, sitting down with a woman of color and having these open and candid conversations to show it is doable. To encourage more men to begin their healing journey and be able to tell their story to a black woman ally. To show that they are heard and seen and supported.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
It is very hard to choose just one!I have memories of eating mangoes in Antigua (where my mother was born and raised), to the fire hydrant being open on my block for a block party, to riding horses at camp, to walking two blocks away to get an Italian ice from the pizza shop, to roller skating at skate rinks, mainly just having no obligations or worry and living like a carefree happy kid.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.blackmencrytoo.com
- Email: blackmencrytoo@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/retrobarbie92 www.instagram.com/blackmencrytoo
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/monster_barbi3
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