Why Did I Get Married???
After learning about Black Marriage Day, created in 2003 by Nisa Muhammad of the Wedded Bliss Foundation in Washington, D.C., in hopes of counteracting the plummeting black marriage rate, Dasi and her husband, Tariq Ziyad , decided to get on board by adding Cleveland to the list of cities sponsoring local celebrations.
So yesterday in Shaker Heights, Ohio's first-ever Black Marriage Day celebration opened. Appropriately enough, it began with a romantic serenade.
"I meant every word when I said, I do' . . . I still love you," crooned the Hue People vocal quartet as 20 couples made their way down the aisle at Eastview United Church of Christ in Shaker Heights.
Then the three-hour ceremony, one of more than 200 taking place across the country Sunday, unfolded with a mix of entertainment, marriage advice and testimonials. It ended with close to 40 married couples standing up to renew their vows.
Several of the husband-and-wife teams shook their clasped hands over their heads like boxing champions as their names were announced. Then they all gazed into each other's eyes to recite a pledge to stay committed and "get better together."
The goal of the event, said co-organizer Krsnanandini Dasi, is to strengthen black families by showcasing "black couples who are having successful marriages, despite the challenges and despite the statistics."
To all her guests, Dasi handed out a 20-page Black Marriage Day souvenir guide that, next to ads for wedding planners, party centers and marital counseling, spotlighted many of the grim statistics related to black families. According to 2000 census figures, 70 percent of all black babies born in Cleveland are born to unmarried parents. The story continues...