The Black Love Summit, hosted and founded by CEO of Black Love, Inc. and Howard University alumna, Codie Elaine Oliver, took place in Atlanta on Oct. 21, featuring a lineup of luminaries including Ace Hood, Shelah Marie and Keri Hilson. The event’s keynote speakers were Pinky Cole and Derrick Hayes.
The summit aimed to foster unity and resilience amid societal divisiveness.
Cole, who has gained recognition for her work celebrating connections in the African-American community, exclusively spoke to rolling out explaining what inspired the movement.
What inspired you to start Black Love, Inc.?
The inspiration started with the so-called “Black marriage crisis.” We were reading these horrible headlines from 2005 through 2010, stating that Black women were undesirable and Black people weren’t staying married as long as everyone else. The reality was these headlines were damaging enough. They made my friends feel bitter and hopeless, for lack of a better description. A little bit of hope in me was like, “This can’t be true, right? I can’t fail to find my forever partner just because statistics supposedly say I can’t.”
Ultimately, I learned that Black people over-index in lower-income households and money issues are a major cause of divorce. When our community over-indexes in lower-income households, the statistics say that we don’t stay married when it’s financially driven. Debunking that particular myth was important.
How did the Black love Summit promote unity and resilience despite today’s world of divisiveness?
We tried to create a space that is safe, where the conversations range from self-love to partnership and everything in between. We talked about mental health and wellness, and what that looks like. That was a conversation that was presented in partnership with the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, which prioritizes mental health. We talked about financial wellness, what it means to make an impact and money. That was in partnership with JP Morgan Chase & Co.
We had Ryan Wilson, the founder of The Gathering Spot, talking with Keri Hilson about entrepreneurship. It’s like bringing together all of these different voices and you’re like, “Well, how’s that Black love?” Taking care of your bank account and taking care of your present and future is Black love. That is self-love.
What is your superpower?
I think it is my transparency and desire for transparency. I am doing this and I’ve had some amount of success in it because I want to understand people. I also want to share the imperfection behind anything.
Marriage, in particular, is that thing people idolize or at least used to. I don’t know the temperature right now but it also may come with hard lessons, loss, grief, highs and lows. I use marriage as an example, but the same is true of our parent-child relationships and our sisterhoods. It’s looking at the things that seem ideal or easy, and asking, “But, what did it take?”
