Strengthening marriage bonds in our community
on January 30th, 2007 at 3:14 am(news.enquirer.com) About 70 percent of African-American women do not live with a spouse, the Census Bureau says. That’s the direction in which Monica Blackwell-Harper once saw herself headed.
Although she wanted children, “I didn’t want to get married,” the 35-year-old from Forest Park says. “I didn’t understand why people would (marry). It seemed like a bad idea, because in my circle, it seemed like everybody broke up.” That included her parents, who divorced before she entered grade school.
She married despite those misgivings, and today both Blackwell-Harper and her husband, Tramell Harper, also 35, admit they’re surprised their 11-year union survived its rocky start. They’re thrilled it did, and the middle-class parents of three young children say their success is due, at least in part, to their ongoing efforts to learn how to be a good spouse.
A movement now under way hopes to multiply such successful marriages. Locally and nationally, programs are being offered – many funded by federal or state grants – with the goal of strengthening relationships and promoting the benefits of marriage, particularly among African-Americans. (more…)
While I am always for efforts that work to help strengthen marriages, I am vehemently against government funding towards such initiatives (like I am with the the entire Faith-based initiative package). This should be something handled by the non-profit sector only.
BTW, I have not forgotten about the little idea I had regarding a blog whose emphasis is on marriages in the Black community. I just didn’t think that I would be me leading such an initiative. I’ll keep y’all posted on any further developments on that end. In the meantime, please hit me up if you are interested in participating.
