Balance may or may not exist, but it is a goal for those of us juggling life, work, family, a partner, friends, travel and more. Our Black Love community share their stories about how to bring balance into your life along with the challenges and the lessons they learned along the way.
Tamia Hill used to feel inadequate when comparing herself to other basketball wives. I clapped when I learned why she stopped.
What is the hardest part of bending traditional gender roles in marriage? I watched staging-blacklove.kinsta.cloud’s Couch Conversations and found out.
“Happily ever after” is an ideal that seems to have been around since the beginning of time. But what does “happily ever after” really look like in a happy marriage, and, more importantly, what does it really feel like? Have you ever noticed that fairy tales always end right after the wedding? We get caught up in this huge love story — the prince searches for days for the foot that fits the slipper or travels for weeks to be the kiss that wakes the princess. Then there’s this fabulous party with a fancy dress, fantastic gifts, and festive family and friends, plus the delicious dinner and lovely libations — all of it meant to celebrate the happy couple. But they never show what happens when the celebration commences, the crowd goes home, and the couple realizes that it’s just them and an idea of how they are supposed to be. And, the thing that screws us up the most about marriage is the perception of how it’s supposed to be. Although my husband and I dated for about two years prior to jumping the broom, we realized that marriage was a brand new beast. No more “I” or “my,” but now, “we” and “us.” Prior to our wedding day, we both lived our lives as individuals, doing things our own way, having our own ideologies and routines, and then — BOOM! The world shakes and we’re in a period of constant learning, accepting, and evolving. Toni-Ann Craft and her husband
A mother and wife shares lessons in love, communication, and parenting that she learned from nine years of marriage.
On Sunday, October 7th, Lance Gross, Chris Spencer, Devale Ellis and Robbie Jones got together for the Husbands Panel hosted by BLACK LOVE co-creator Tommy Oliver at the first ever Black Love Summit. The goal: to be as honest as possible about being a husband. The fellas dived in on topics from fights on “Black Love Eve” to dealing with women who proposition in front of the wife to knowing, as Chris Spencer said of his wife Vanessa, that she is “the one.” The husbands agreed it takes work and sacrifice to have a healthy marriage. And they illustrated how life-giving and beneficial a marriage can be when committed to the intentionality of making it work. Check out the highlights from this inaugural event.
On Sunday, October 7th, Vanessa Spencer gathered Ryan Michelle Bathe, Khadeen Ellis, Aonika Thomas, Ashley Chea - all wives featured in the BLACK LOVE Series - to talk about the realities of wife-dom at the first ever Black Love Summit. The event included a full day of panels and conversations, but these ladies held it down on the Wives Panel, a glowed-up girlfriends’ conversation on their role as “wife.” They covered topics from self care secrets that include tossing tires (aka crossfit as a means of de-stressing) to sexy-time all-the-time to childcare guilt –– each bringing their unique perspective and experience on being a wife and mother. The attendees left refreshed with new ways to honor their family, and themselves, through the role as a wife.
On Sunday, October 7th, couples and singles alike convened on Los Angeles, California at the W Hotel Hollywood for the first ever Black Love Summit. The couple that created the BLACK LOVE series on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) invited experts, celebrities and couples featured on the show to dig deeper into their personal stories of love and growth and to fellowship on fostering healthy relationships. Check out the highlights from this inaugural event.
To kick off season two of the BLACK LOVE series, producers and show creators Codie & Tommy Oliver invited couples from the series, including Sterling K. Brown & Ryan Michelle Bathe, and Devale & Khadeen Ellis, Tamia & Grant Hill, Kirk & Tammy Franklin, Taj & Eddie George and more for an exclusive Clips & Conversation event.
Time to coordinate child care, coordinate schedules, and coordinate outfits –– date night is here! Date night is a great way to connect, spend quality time, and have a lot of fun with your significant other. With that in mind, staging-blacklove.kinsta.cloud has you covered with our top 10 date night ideas, straight from our community to you. There’s something for everyone, and we appreciate all who shared ways they set aside time for love.
Hi, my name is Raquelle, but when I’m in an immature mood, I am known as Petty LaBelle. My alternate persona oftentimes rears her ugly head when my husband, Ben, and I argue. There’s no use in fronting — I can be a bitch if I’m not getting my way. When she’s in full diva mode, Petty won’t let me give in, so I may bring up old stuff that doesn’t have a damn thing to do with our disagreement. If we’re on the phone, I’ll deliver a curt “bye” and hang up just to show him I’ve got the upper hand. Or I’ll do passive-aggressive stuff like eat the last of some yummy leftovers or leave his clothes in the washing machine. Yes, I know, scandalous — I’ve earned my moniker. On this week’s episode of Black Love, the couples share their experiences on how to pick your battles in a relationship. Like previous episodes, this show spoke to the beauty and beast within my soul. It is a deft illustration of the dichotomy between heaven and hell — undeniable proof that marriage ain’t for wimps. One of my fave couples is Devale and Khadeen. Their banter is enchanting as they interact with adoring smiles and laughter, sexual innuendo, and sometimes feigned annoyance. When Devale spoke about the fight they had right before the cameras arrived, I had to smile and shake my head. Countless times, my hubby and I have been fussing one minute and flashing smiles the next. I know he resists the urge to choke me at times, and the feeling is mutual. But as Devale surmises, we “suppress all of that for the sake of marriage, that right there is the epitome of marriage!” Echoing her hubby, Khadeen shared a lesson I’m learning about my own marriage. “Perseverance, that’s Black Love.” My homie lover friend and I have been married for 16 years. Keeping peace in my marriage when the devil is dishing out dissension is an art I continue to perfect. I try to check myself and exercise maturity. Some days I succeed, others, I have to dust my pride off and try again. I have become well versed at saying, “Let’s agree to disagree.” Or better yet, I shut my mouth and let him win a round of Mars vs. Venus.
Are “old-fashioned” 30+ year marriages a thing of the past? Or can a success rate like this be crafted and cultivated? Vanessa Bell Calloway says that with a little work and a little common-sense, old-fashioned marriage is here to stay.
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