Brown, whose Kiss and Make Up with Intimate Evenings event-planning company focuses on couples, says the institution of the black marriage is “great for kids. It’s great for the community. Two-parent households bring in more income overall,” she told the Chicago Sun-Times. “Growing up in most homes, we either saw bad examples of what marriage was or we didn’t see any example because our parents weren’t together.”
About 72 percent of African American babies are currently being born out of wedlock, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Black Marriage Day is a way to counter those abominable statistics and promote the many positives of the institution. In many cities across the country, more than 300 groups have hosted events throughout the weekend.
In fact, Black Marriage Day is going to extend beyond this weekend.
In addition, the Web site, Blackmarriageday.com asks readers to listen to a video of Super Bowl-winning coach Tony Dungy speak about Black Marriage Day.
Some organizations and institutions are taking the Black Marriage Day theme to another level. Salem Baptist Church of Chicago, for example, is picking up the tab for upcoming nuptials, reception and honeymoon night for 25 member couples currently living together. It is a promotion of black marriage when so many people ask: ‘Why bother? This works for us,’ ” Brown says. “Not knowing there are so many other benefits of being married.”
–terry shropshire
