A Tribute to Black Love
Aside from February being Black History Month, the month of February means celebrating love, and regardless of your relationship status, our timelines will be flooded with Valentine’s Day related content on the 14th.
We can all agree that love is beautiful and that blackness is beautiful. As Valentine’s Day approaches, we want to highlight some examples of our favorite type of love: Black love.
Though love is beautiful in all of its permutations, seeing Black men love on their black queens tugs at our heartstrings a little harder. With The Photograph, a romantic drama film starring Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield, debuting across the nation on Valentine’s Day, our admiration of Black love is at an all-time high.
Considering this, we’re inspired to share some examples of Black love that completely warm our hearts to get in the Valentine’s Day spirit. Let the lovey-dovey cuteness and gushy feelings commence.
1. Michelle and Barack
Source: reddit.com
Since this powerhouse couple first stepped into the White House in 2008, they stole America’s hearts. From the way that Barack mentioned Michelle in nearly every speech he gave during his tenure, even getting teary-eyed on occasion, to Michelle’s own mention of Barack during her speech at BET’s annual “Black Girls Rock!” event in 2015, we cannot help but admire how these two uplift and support each other. This support goes from Michelle continually being by Barack’s side along the campaign trail to Barack releasing a memorandum discussing the importance of combatting childhood obesity in connection to Michelle’s organization Let’s Move dedicated to the same objective.
Not only does this couple support each other’s initiatives, but the love that they have for each other is so moving that their love story was made into a popular film. In 2016, Southside with You, a biographical romance starring Tika Sumpter as Michelle and Parker Sawyers as Barack, was released, allowing audiences to view a fictional yet realistic rendition of the couple’s first date in 1989.
These lovebirds have been known to not shy away from public displays of affection. The couple’s affectionate moments have been caught by photographers on a few occasions, such as before and after presidential speeches and at various White House events. During a timeout at an Olympic basketball exhibition game in 2012, the first couple shared a kiss for the KissCam.
Source: insider.com
Individually, both Michelle and Barack are known to have a way with words, proven by their birthday and anniversary messages to each other shared on social media. In a birthday message to Michelle on Instagram, Barack wrote “You're not only my wife and the mother of my children, you're my best friend. I love your strength, your grace, and your determination. And I love you more each day.” We love our former POTUS and FLOTUS more and more each day too!
2. Lebron and Savannah
Source: people.com
Lebron and Savannah James have been together for nearly 2 decades, as the story of lovebirds dates back to their high school days. From having their first date at Outback Steakhouse to having Beyoncé and Jay Z performing “Crazy In Love” at their wedding in 2013, this couple has come a long way over the years, growing together. In an Instagram post for Savannah’s birthday this month, Lebron wrote “Some got no luck and some got all the luck in the world. I definitely got lucky with you that for sure!” We can always count on Lebron to gush over and hype up his queen. In a touching video shared on Instagram that went viral, Lebron pauses to ensure that his wife is by his side before blowing out his birthday candles. Lebron refusing to enjoy his special moment without Savannah completely melted our hearts!
695.8k Likes, 19.1k Comments - The Shade Room (@theshaderoom) on Instagram: "#PressPlay: #TSRBaewatch - Watch #LeBronJames refuse to blow out his birthday candles without his..."
If you were to ask Lebron about his greatest motivation, he would name Savannah with no hesitation. “I’m just the car, she’s the engine!” he wrote in an Instagram post, showing some appreciation for his wife, even referring to her as Wonder Woman.
When mention of Lebron and Savannah is made, it’s often accompanied by mention of their two sons, Brinson aka “Bronny” and Bryce, and daughter Zhuri James. One thing Lebron mentioned particularly admiring about Savannah is her dedication to their family, especially considering Lebron’s hectic schedule as a professional athlete. This couple’s dynamic has helped them function well as a team for years, and we hope their enduring love will produce the same results in the future!
3. Jada and Will
Source: sheknows.com
This couple’s raw love for each other, vulnerability, goofiness and open communication inspire us daily. Married in 1997, Will and Jada have grown together in the public eye, moving and shaking the Hollywood acting scene through their respective on-screen roles. The duo even stared in the 2001 biopic Ali together, bringing their off-screen love to the big screen, to the surprise and excitement of viewers. Their love is so iconic that rapper J. Cole even mentioned them on No Role Modelz off of his album 2014 Forest Hills Drive, saying “I want a real love, dark skinned and Aunt Viv love // That Jada and that Will love.”
Besides their good looks, Will and Jada’s authenticity and honesty with one another seem to be what really draw people to the couple. Through the well-known inter-generational talk show Red Table Talk hosted by Jada, they were able to openly discuss the tumultuous moments of their 20 plus year marriage and tackle expectations surrounding how couples should approach relationship therapy.
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air Star said in an interview about Jada, “There’s nothing that could happen that we won’t be together and love each other. And it’s not just because we’re saying it. It’s because we’ve cracked each other’s heads wide open.” Through open communication, therapy, and being vulnerable, their connection has grown so strong that the love they carry for one another is unconditional. This is part of why we love Will and Jada together, and will always be rooting for them!
4. Gabrielle and Dwayne
This list would not be complete without Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wade. Wade and Union first got together 10 years ago in 2009. The two met in 2007 when they were both in separate marriages. their paths crossed repeatedly through various industry connections. Finally, they revealed their relationship to the world in 2012 on the cover of Essence magazine where D-Wade explained: “We’re not rushing it. Both of us have been married before, and we understand that if we choose to marry again, we want it to be right. We both took failing at marriage hard. The next time it’s gotta be forever.”
Since their marriage in 2014, Gabrielle and Dwayne have grown from our couple goals into our parent goals. The two have blessed us all with glimpses into their tight-knight family through social media. Together, the couple share five children. Four sons are from Wade’s previous relationships and together in November of 2018, the two welcomed a daughter, Kaavia James, via surrogate. Gabrielle describes Dwayne as “very hands-on” when it comes to fatherhood. She says: “When he’s in Miami and we’re in Los Angeles, he wants to know everything, from her poops to what outfit she’s wearing.”
Our love for Gabrielle and Dwayne has only increased with their recent introduction of their daughter 12-year-old, Zaya Wade. This week the two took to social media to open up about Zaya’s trans-identity. In the video posted to Gabrielle’s Instagram, Zaya says, “I would like to say, just be true to yourself. What’s the point of being on this Earth if you’re going to try to be someone you’re not. It’s like your not even living as yourself, which is the dumbest concept to me.” These wise words from Zaya show that the love between Gabrielle and Dwayne, rooted in truth is something for us all to learn from.
