Family Reflections
By Andrew & Terri Lyke
July 11, 2003

There was a buzz around African American marriage at the 2003 Smart Marriages Conference in late June. One of the plenary sessions was “Reviving Marriage in the Black Community” by journalist Nisa Muhammad and Rev. Rozario Slack.

Lorraine Blackman, Ph.D. of Indiana University offered a training for her marriage education curriculum for African Americans. Her 8-week program is a collaborative effort that provides family life education to at-risk families. Participants learn skills that lend toward better relating to others, coping with life events, and actualizing individual potential.

Patricia Dixon, Ph.D. and Khalil Osiris, MA led the workshop “TLC for African American Couples.” Their program, TLC–Talking and Listening with Care, looks at different styles of communicating between married partners and how those difference impact on their ability to express thoughts and feelings openly, honestly and freely, and resolve conflicts effectively. The program helps singles and couples examine their own communication styles and explore the source of these styles.

The U.S. Department of Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) launched an initiative to strengthen and encourage marriage among African Americans. ACF hosted a dinner at the Conference to gather participants interested in lifting up Black marriage as a viable lifestyle with inherent benefits for children, couples, families and communities. More than 100 people gathered.

We’ve been marriage educators for 22 years. Most of our work has been directed toward the Black Catholic community. And never have we experienced as much energy around Black marriage. This energy is more than talk. Federal funds are available through ACF.

Here’s our concern. Sadly there is little effort in the Catholic Church in America to encourage and support marriage among African Americans. Generally speaking, Family Life Offices in most dioceses are not focused on reaching out to African Americans, and Offices for Black Ministry around the country are not focused on family life. This presents a systemic impasse in the Catholic Church’s intentional outreach to African American families.

Unless this systemic impasse is addressed the opportunity that is current will pass, and the Church will have missed this collaborative moment. We encourage the leaders of Family Life and Black Ministry Offices to permeate their chancery walls and raise the din on the buzz around African American marriage. The time has come. Let’s make it happen!

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