Love is in the air, and it’s Black Love.
With lovers’ month around the corner, we can turn our attention from all the awful things going on in our world to the one thing that genuinely matters, love. It’s a beautiful thing and a rare treasure that must be shared, nurtured, and protected as a couple. Also, as Black couples who understand the significance of this month as Black history month, it’s an opportunity to make it all the more special.
With everyone speaking of couple goals, there are hundreds of ways you and your significant other can make this season memorable and impactful. One great way to do this is a spectacular valentine’s mash-up with Black history month. This is the perfect time to look back at all we have accomplished and be thankful for those who get to share it all with us.
In the spirit of this season, we’ve curated 5 simple Black couple goals you can achieve together to nurture love and still celebrate Black history.
Learn Together: The Black Couples Who Shaped History
Love conquers all. And nowhere more will you find this more true than in Black history. There are countless stories of Black couples whose devotion to each other and the common good changed the world. As a couple, learning together should remain the top goal. Mutual growth and understanding will keep the fires of your relationship burning.
This season, take time to learn about the Black power couples whose lives and relationships shaped and continue to shape history. Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King Jr are great examples of a Black power couple. Barack & Michelle Obama, Oprah & Stedman, and Beyonce and Jay Z are also great examples you can both learn from. But beyond learning about them, let it be a launchpad for you to dream and plan as a team. Use the time to talk about your individual dreams and how you could support each other as a team.
Two heads are more significant than one, for they have a greater reward for their commitment to each other.
Game Nights
Couples who play together stay together. As with any team activity, deep bonds are formed when teammates work together repeatedly. You learn a lot about each other playing together. You understand how you both think and tick. But the best parts are the ones that come to you subconsciously. The inner knowing you just can’t explain, but you know to be true deep down. It will set you apart and make you the envy of other couples.
Make game nights an essential part of your activities this month. There are great trivial and family games about Black history that are super fun and entertaining just for the two of you or a couples’ date night. And as a unique mash-up with Black history month, make some of your games about Black history.
Dates and Site-Seeing
One thing you don’t want to lose as a couple is your physical connection beyond sex. This may be the oldest in the book. Still, it is no less critical, especially in our digital age of social networking sites and video calls. Dates are a fantastic time-tested way of creating and strengthening these connections.
Schedule dates away from the house and especially to places you are both unfamiliar with. Make it an adventure for two. This will help create intimate bonds not only with yourselves but also with the physical locations you visit. There are great places to visit during Black history month, museums, art galleries, concerts, and even movements you both can be a part of.
There is also a great selection of movies, books, and works by Black creatives that have had a global impact. This period would be a great time to learn and enjoy these works as a couple. It can also be a great time to create art together. How many songs and works by Black creatives do you both know and support?
Go African in Cuisine
Nothing creates great connections like food. But the regular can be a bore. As great as pizza and Chinese take-outs may be, there are other ways you both can enjoy a meal and your company.
Food is universal to every continent but as different as our skin colors are, so are our cuisines and recipes. For Black history month, go African in cuisine. There may also be African cuisine you know about but have never tried. Research new recipes you both have never tried before. The fun is in the adventure.
You can plan a cooking date each week where each of you try out the recipes and cuisines you pick out. It could be cooking together or a competition. If cooking isn’t something you both can do now, consider great places around you where you can try out new and exciting African recipes.
Outfits and Accessories
Nothing says a couple like matching outfits. Couples who play together can also slay together. Lovers’ month is a great time to try out new matching outfits, especially ones created by Black creatives.
But not everyone is open to the idea of uniforms in public. One of the greatest gifts has been our artistic approach to life and culture. There are countless artwork, fashion styles, jewelry-like necklaces, rings and whatever bracelet type you want created by African Americans and Africans in the diaspora that could serve as beautiful gifts, especially during this season.
If this is you, you can opt for getting new clothes and accessories for each other and at the same time support Black-owned businesses and African creatives.
Outside the Box
The most important thing is to think outside the box and curate every activity towards fostering a stronger connection and growth as individuals and as a couple. Let this season be a celebration of love, of culture, of the future, and of the history you both share.
With all the things going wrong in our world, finding that ray of sunshine can seem like an uphill battle, but true love exists no matter how rare it may be. When you find someone truly special, it is worth fighting for and nurturing.
Happy Lovers’ Month!