Slavery and racism historically prevented and disrupted Black marital unions and continues to plague the Black community and Black relationships today

Fans of the 2000 film Love and Basketball can testify to the collective heartbreak felt when Quincy McCall (Omar Epps) dunks on Monica Wright (Sanaa Lathan) to win their final game that would decide the fate of their union. As Wright walks away in grief after losing both her heart and the game, McCall says, “Double or nothing,” to profess his love for her despite being two weeks away from marrying someone else.

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While few of us will find ourselves battling it out on the basketball court desperately trying to win at love, many heterosexual Black men and women find themselves in a fight to find the “one.” Although some self-help books and online relationship experts will have us all believing self-development is the only cure for the distance between Black men and women seeking companionship, the issue is far deeper than that.

In fact, Dianne M. Stewart, associate professor of religion and African American studies at Emory University and author of “Black Women, Black Love: America’s War on African American Marriage,” delves into how slavery and racism historically prevented and disrupted Black marital unions and continues to plague the Black community and Black relationships today.

“I wrote the book because I could not find any other materials that comprehensively addresses what some perceive as a crisis in African-American love, dating, and marital relationships today,” Stewart explains. “What I mean by this is many authors and pundits treat the low rates of romantic partnership and marriage among Black women as a personal issue. My book elevates the issue to the level of civil rights.”

Source: Black Love or War? How racism hinders Black dating and relationships