10 Black Men Discuss What Marriage Means To Them

“Marriage: A faithful union between two individuals, in which they experience a continued process of healing, growth, knowledge, and love together.

“Looking back on my life thus far, I struggled when it came down to defining marriage on my own terms. Growing up, marriage was understood as the symbolic representation for perfection and happiness. Society itself projected this formula through media: perfection + happiness = marriage. If you have the first two components, you are most likely married. More specifically, the idealized marriage on television often included a well rounded, nuclear family (A husband, wife, children, and some random pet) that experienced life lessons together in perfect harmony. Some of our favorite sitcoms like Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Moesha, and even Blackish have all fallen into this trope in some capacity. Throughout the series, the marriage always remains strong (Even if new actors are swapped in and out of roles), and the family maintains their loving bond.

@brycelennon