How we're feeling about Oprah Winfrey's upcoming docu-series, Black Love:
The series will feature love stories from famous and ordinary black couples about how they met and how they are making it work.
Amongst others, Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis and her husband, Julius Tennon will share their story. So will power couple, actress Meagan Good and her producer pastor husband, Devon Franklin, and actress Tia Mowry and her actor husband Cory Hardict. All these couples have been together eight, 10, 17, 28 years, while others are still newlyweds.
And if the trailer is anything to go by - we're really optimistic.
The trailer shows the good and not so good times
Meagan Good: "I was telling my friend, Joelle that was visiting with me, I was like wow he's such an awesome guy...and I remember saying to her, specifically...that's the kind of guy I wish I could marry."
Tony Calloway: "To be honest, we went to the movies and I started feeling on her leg
Vanessa Calloway: "And I didn't stop him..."
Andre Brown: "In that moment, everything inside of me said you absolutely have to say something to this woman..."
Tia Mowry: "Don't ever think that a baby is just going to bring you closer. It brings you closer for a minute, then reality hits."
Warryn Campbell: "The first thing she said was I'm mad, I'm really mad, but the second thing she said was I'm not leaving."
Why do we think this is important?
For a long time, dominant portrayals of black relationships, particularly in the media have been problematic, to say the least. Generally, they've been muddied by fighting, violence, divorce -- basically something that is doomed.
The popularity of reality television shows with a predominantly black cast -- where couples are constantly fighting, breaking up, making up, divorcing just perpetuates this portrayal.
Now this is not to say that black couples don't have challenges, or they don't fight or divorce; but they are also happy, affectionate and peaceful. They go on dates, hold hands, have intelligent conversations- something we arguably don't see too often.
So it's refreshing to have such a docu-series that may in a small way counter the dominant narrative. And nje, we love love -- so go Oprah!
The show premieres on August 29 on OWN.