There are many ways to celebrate Black Marriage Day 2020 on Sunday, March 22, 2020. We encourage you to exhaust your creativity and offer programs that are youth focused and reach a range of the Black community to include couples, singles and youth. Our theme this year is Marriage Changes Things.

We offer the following suggestions of additional activities from sources such as the Smart Marriages Website and things other cities have done. You can use these ideas, or come up with your own, for a very special Black Marriage Day 2020 event.

Teach by example! Celebrate your own marriage. Strengthen your own marriage.  Read a book, attend a course, talk to the youth in your family.  If you're not married, offer to baby sit so someone else can go celebrate.

Launch a Marriage Hall of Fame for those married for 40 years or more. Post their pictures and their tips for success in a prominent public place like the marriage license office, schools, library or places of worship. Marriage Hall of Fame information is on the site. Encourage youth to nominate their parents.

Honor members of your extended family or community whose marriages have had an impact on your life. Write a note of appreciation for marriages that have inspired you.  Or, throw a surprise party honoring them.

Create a "Ten Most Affordable Marriage Dates" (or best, or most romantic, or most creative) list/contest for your community. Get these to the media - radio, TV, newspapers, community newsletters. Ask radio stations to promote a contest  - keep the focus on Marriage - not just any old date, but ideas for the best, most creative, or most affordable Marriage Date. 

Organize a "Husband/Wife or Marriage of the Year" essay contest.

Encourage local television and radio stations, movie theaters or drama companies to celebrate Black Marriage Day with appropriate programs, films or productions. Organize a Marriage Film Festival at your community organization.  Ask local stations to run Public Service Announcements about marriage.

Ask media to include a Strengthening Marriage Tip, Marriage Article, Marriage Quiz -" Of the Day" for the full week leading up to Black Marriage Day.  Send them the material! It's only seven days... Celebrate couples that have reached marriage milestones - 25, 40, 50, or more years or marriage.

How to Celebrate

Wedded Bliss Foundation is a community- based organization helping teens, singles and couples create healthy relationships and healthy marriages so more children grow up with the benefits

www.weddedblissinc.com236 Mass. Ave NE, Ste 610, Washington, DC  20002 P: 202-544-1936 F:

202-544-1487 www.blackmarriageday.com

Black Marriage Day 2020

Ask religious leaders to acknowledge the importance of marriage on Black Marriage Day in their sermons and services. Invite them to have film festival for their youth.

Send a marriage-strengthening book or give a gift certificate for a class to newlyweds, new parents, or anyone whose marriage could use a boost.

Offer to speak/teach at civic groups, high schools, factories, day care, etc.  Organize a marriage strengthening seminar in your civic or religious community.

Ask employers to hold a marriage seminars or brown bag lunches.  Organize a fundraiser - danceathon, walkathon, marathon, bake sale - to purchase marriage education books and tapes and donate them to the public or congregation library.

Include activities for engaged couples and dating couples – emphasize helping them create strong, healthy marriages for the future.

Have couples create a CD for their spouse called, “Why I Love You So”. Depending on their skill level, it can include one spouse speaking to the other or it could just include a compilation of favorite songs that express their love and devotion.

Have youth create messages to their parents about why they love having married parents.  For Book Clubs have them read a book on the value of marriage such as Marriage and Caste in America by Kay Hymowitz and discuss it.

Ask judges and divorce lawyers to declare a moratorium on divorce – NO Divorces filed or granted during the week leading up to Black Marriage Day.  Ask them to "schedule vacation" that week if that's what it takes.  Get this to the media!

Adolescents and Children

The Black Marriage Day Film Festival is a great way to get youth involved in Black Marriage Day. See information included.

Hold a "How this marriage has had an impact on my life" or a "Why I think this is a great Marriage" essay contest for children in the community (lessons learned, examples set, why they want a marriage like this when they grow up, etc.)  Award prizes, get the media involved.  Marriages described could be those of their parents, relatives, ancestors or one of local, state or national significance.

Wedded Bliss Foundation is a community- based organization helping teens, singles and couples create healthy relationships and healthy marriages so more children grow up with the benefits

www.weddedblissinc.com236 Mass. Ave NE, Ste 610, Washington, DC  20002 P: 202-544-1936 F:

202-544-1487 www.blackmarriageday.com

Black Marriage Day 2020

Organize a Tom Thumb wedding using children as the bride, groom and attendants. Put marriage on their mind now and keep it there.

Have them write an essay on what marriage looks like to them. Expand this idea and have them make a film or power point with photos from their community on what marriage looks like to them. Make it a contest and offer prizes for the best essay, power point or movie. If you don’t do a contest you can always have an exhibition.

Offer abstinence education classes that help youth make the decision to abstain from sex until marriage.

Have a panel discussion for youth to talk to married couples to learn their success in staying together and why marriage is important.

Create a museum exhibit on slave marriages to show the determination couples had to stay together.

Have children nominate their parents for the Marriage Hall of Fame.

Have an opportunity for children to express why they are glad that their parents are married and the impact it has on their lives.

Wedded Bliss Foundation is a community- based organization helping teens, singles and couples create healthy relationships and healthy marriages so more children grow up with the benefits

www.weddedblissinc.com236 Mass. Ave NE, Ste 610, Washington, DC  20002 P: 202-544-1936 F:

202-544-1487 www.blackmarriageday.com

Black Marriage Day 2020