Our Story: Dionne & Andre
Marriage is challenging enough without the added strain of medical issues. But Dionne and Andre learned to support each other through it all.
Marriage is challenging enough without the added strain of medical issues. But Dionne and Andre learned to support each other through it all.
Uniquely enough, though our love was cultivated within HBCU culture, our love story did not start at Hampton University.
Our love story is no fairytale. However, it did begin one dark, gloomy night in 2006.
In order to capture the essence of HBCU Love, we [...]
Donielle & Zaesha My husband and I have been married for five years. We met in 2010-2011 in the 8th grade on the first day of gym class, and it was genuinely love at first sight. I never thought in a million years that a pretty boy like him would be interested in a shy, unpopular, and dark-skinned woman like me. A mutual friend of ours introduced us to each other and we quickly became acquainted. He was different than any other guy I had ever liked. He didn’t make me nervous, and the butterflies I felt in my stomach were from excitement instead of fear. He had the prettiest smile and the most inviting eyes. To my surprise, he was actually interested in me. We dated for a week or so, but I broke it off because I felt like I couldn’t compete with the girls who were interested in him (I was so naïve and insecure). Eventually, I entered into a relationship with another guy for five years, but Donielle and I were the best of friends. We both knew that we were supposed to be together, and even at 14 years old, he would always say 'I’m going to marry you one day.' I never believed him. Related Articles: #WhyISaidIDo - From Sneaky Links to Blended Interfaith Family: Salah & Jasmine 3 Ways Your Partnership Can Thrive Through Intense Hardship Our Story: Roderick & Cherise Courtesy of Donielle & Zaesha He was my light in a dark time. I experienced a lot of depression and brokenness in that four-year relationship, and he was there to lift me up every time. I was in love with him, but I was afraid to leave my relationship out of fear of not being loved — all the while not realizing that the love I received was not love at all. Donielle cut ties with me after I graduated high school because he could no longer watch me love another man who didn’t deserve it. He pursued me every chance he got, but I always turned it down despite my heart wanting him. A year later in 2015, we rekindled our friendship and I saw that as a sign from God to not let him go again. I told him that I wanted him and nobody else, and the rest was history. We got engaged and married at the courthouse four days later in July of 2016. We were just 20 years old. We now have two boys together and our marriage has gotten so much stronger. We have weathered storms that were meant to break us, but we came out victorious every time. Reflections by Zaesha
From trading likes on IG to preparing to exchange wedding vows, Juwuan and Jenise give their perspectives on their HBCU Love story.
Felecia & Demond "We met his first night [...]
LaWanda and Marcellus met back in the summer of 1999 during her sophomore year of college. See how their HBCU Love story unfolded.
From a game of Connect Four to a real-life connection, here’s how David and Kayla’s HBCU Love story played out.
Leo & Jai Rachal are college sweethearts, but their HBCU Love story is far from typical.
Courtesy of Jasmin Chapman I fell in love [...]
Credit: Marita Campbell Larry and I met at [...]
Credit: Cherise Miller The year was 1995. The place was Tougaloo College. We met on a “he wants to meet you but hasn’t said anything” type of vibe. Just a few weeks after learning his interest in me, I approached Rod when I noticed him sitting outside of the library. He will tell you I was quite bold in my approach. On the other hand, I remain true to the situation being a very humble introduction of myself. What we can both agree on is right there in that moment we instantly clicked. Before our meeting, he spotted me walking from the financial aid office wearing a sundress, an anklet and exuding “The Last Dragon” glow. He said that moment solidified it all as he thought to himself, I was going to be his wife. I was clueless to his proclamation, but yet I was quietly enjoying the late-night conversations about religion, politics, family, and poetry. A few months passed, and we became a safe place to land for each other. However, since I was committed to someone back home, he respected the boundaries of our relationship to fully express his heart's deepest desire. EXCEPT for this one time… One night cemented our deep love for each other without us even knowing. I allowed Rod to sneak upstairs into my all girl’s dorm room, and we stayed up all-night talking for hours. We shared poetry, and he sang Luther Vandross songs while massaging my soul. I felt safe in my vulnerability with him, and he also felt safe with me. What a night! It's important to mention that Rod and I never shared any physical intimacy while in college. Not even that night of soul massaging. Time passed, and trauma erupted in Detroit, which prompted me to transfer to Eastern Michigan University to be closer to my family. A few years after our initial meeting and my departure from Tougaloo, I received a letter that would later change the scope of what I envisioned for my husband. Rod poured his heart out to me, and I didn't respond until nearly three years later. Six years after his secret proclamation and two and a half years after I became a mom to Isaiah. After many years apart, I missed my old friend. But once we reconnected via letters and a few phone calls, he flew to Detroit to visit me and meet my son Isaiah. When Rod exited the plane, he smelt like Frankincense and myrrh essential oils. My heart skipped a beat toward my forever friend and soon to be the love of my life. It was clear at that moment this was the "He" I'd written about in my poetry. The one I prayed for and who proclaimed his undying love for me in that letter I received in 1997. This was the "He" who promised himself that if ever given another chance, he wouldn't let me get away. With time finally, on our side, we were indeed ready for love! Growing up, neither of us had blaring examples of what love and a successful marriage were, so we weren't necessarily shopping for a spouse in college. Early on, we experienced challenges resulting from Isaiah, and I moving to Richmond from Detroit. During this time, I felt I couldn’t be myself in communicating differences of opinion without being accused of being cold or dismissive. But I have come to understand the complexities of stress brought about by Rod giving up the freedoms of being a poetic single free bird and becoming a married father and leader of his family. Because of the obstacles we previously faced, we now understand what doing the work means to sustain a healthy marriage. We understand to have a happy, functional family with a close connection for generations to come; we must do the ‘work.’ We know that our marriage takes a conscious commitment to avoid getting caught up in the day to day requirements of adulting with children. But each day, we're continuing to learn that we must consistently invest in our relationship to remain connected as a solid unit and foster a lasting love. Reflections by @cutslikeagirl
Shaquana and I met in college at Virginia State University; we were introduced by a mutual friend on campus on "The Yard” at Foster Hall.
Courtesy of Matthew and Marnel Goins My wife, [...]
Credit: @_jemarie I’ll never forget the first day [...]
Courtesy of Cherry Masen Photography “God’s favor is [...]
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Courtesy of SixEleven Visuals Marvin and I met [...]
Courtesy of Courtney Jubrey I NEVER wanted to [...]