10 Great Dates for Black Couples
Based on the success of the 10 Great Dates program, Marriage Alive is launching an African-American DVD edition of 10 Great Dates with Drs. Rozario and Angela Slack as the presenters, for use in inner city churches and to help start marriage initiatives in African American communities. We are often asked why we need a separate version of 10 Great Dates. If others ask, you may be wondering too. Below is a summary of why we feel this is needed and our projected outcomes.
WHY A BLACK EDITION OF 10 GREAT DATES?
Research shows that, while 76% of American family households are headed by married couples, only 47.9% of African American family households are headed by married couples. The needs are great and with President Bush’s marriage initiative, one of the greatest needs is African American curriculum like 10 Great Dates that is easy-to-lead, inexpensive, and teaches relationship skills. We wanted to help meet this need.
Our desire to serve the African American community stems from our awareness that it is important for Black people to be given information from those who look like them.
While 10 Great Dates has been used successfully in inner city congregations, generally African American churches want and need their own curriculum, so we are thrilled that Drs. Rozario and Angela Slack teamed with us to present the video date sessions and are helping us to connect with strategic groups who can help get this resource to African American churches. Also the East Capital Center for Change (Southeast Washington, D.C.) and the National Center for Fathering are partnering with us and will be using 10 Great Dates for Black Couples as one of their official marriage education resources.
Strengthening existing African American marriages with the 10 Great Dates DVD curriculum will prevent a significant number of divorces in inner cities. By empowering local churches and community groups with a video curriculum like 10 Great Dates, we anticipate assisting 400 African American congregations to start marriage programs in churches, impacting at least 6000 marriages in the first year.
Endorsements for 10 Great Dates for Black Couples:
A triumph and a blessing for all those who care about the future of healthy marriages in the African American community. This series should be used by church and community groups across the nation.
Dr. Robert M. Franklin - Presidential Distinguished Professor, Candler School of Theology, Emory University Former President, Interdenominational Theological Center
10 Great Dates for Black Couples breaks new ground in marriage education by reaching out to the Black community with a very focused, relevant, unassuming, yet hilarious message.
- Linda Malone-Colon, PhD, Former director, National Healthy Marriage Resource Center