The media or other doomsayers would have you believe that Black love doesn’t exist. Most news stories focus on the negative statistics when it comes to our relationships, and reporters seldom dig deeper to find the stories of faith and commitment we all know are out there. That’s why last year, in honor of Black love, we created a special feature called “Will You Marry Me?” We wanted to celebrate our unions and show Black men making the ultimate commitment to Black women. The response to our story was overwhelming, and this year we hope you will enjoy it just as much.
When we began planning this feature six months ago, research editor (and office romantic) Bridgette Bartlett forwarded an e-mail to our team that was causing quite a buzz on the Internet. It was a link to a magical marriage proposal by a brother in Atlanta who had gone to great lengths to show his intended, Keisha Williams, how much he loved her. To save money for a proposal that required ten hotel rooms, 400 roses flown in from South Africa, dozens of candles and a personal photographer, Robert Gray rented out his home for a year and moved in with his sister. By the time we finished watching Robert’s breathtaking proposal to Keisha online, there wasn’t a dry eye in the office (you can check it out). When asked why he went to such lengths to propose, Robert said, “It was truly a vision from God.” Black love does indeed exist!
While we certainly enjoyed putting together this month’s special package, we’re not saying that getting married should be top of mind for every Black woman. In fact, in our cover story, media mogul Tyra Banks speaks candidly about how her booming career has put on hold any plans to start a family (“Standing in the Spotlight,” page 132).
Whatever your personal philosophy of love and marriage, we hope that you’ll enjoy meeting six new couples as they embark on the journey of a lifetime in our second annual “Will You Marry Me?” feature. Watch their exciting proposal videos, find out how the women answered, and cast a vote for your favorite couple now. The one who receives the most votes will win a fabulous wedding and honeymoon, courtesy of Royal Caribbean International.
Then send me your own story of Black love at angela@essence.com.
Angela
ANGELA BURT-MURRAY
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Credit: Carlo Dalla Chiesa