Dating & Relationships
9 Love Lessons from OWNS Black Love Docu-Series

If you’re anything like us, then you’re completely obsessed with OWN’s Black Love, a docu-series that focuses on the ups and downs of love, marriage, parenthood, and everything in between through interviewing couples, some famous some not.
As enjoyable as this series is, it is also filled with love lessons. These love lessons are both for the single and the married.
Some Couples include Oscar-winner Viola Davis and husband Julius Tennon, actress Meagan Good and husband producer DeVon Franklin, Tia Mowry and husband/actor Cory Hardrict, NAACP Image Award-nominee Flex Alexander and Grammy-nominated recording artist Shanice, gospel singer Erica Campbell and husband/music producer Warryn Campbell. And that’s just the first season.
In the second season, we hear from actor Sterling K. Brown and wife actress Ryan Michelle Bathe, singer Tamia and husband Ex-basketball player Grant Hill, DJ Rev Run and wife Justine Simmons, Tina Knowles and husband/actor Richard Lawson, and more.
OWNS BLACK LOVE
Here are our 9 take aways about #blacklove from the show:
1. Keep your eyes and mind open
Many couples in the first episode of the first season already had a preconceived person they were looking for. They thought that the love of their lives was going to act and look a certain way.
What they taught us is that love is not something you can preconceive. That keeping your mind and spirit open will sometimes lead you to love that you could have never imagined. Something to keep in mind the next time the non-typical guy or gal says hi.
2. Love can be as sweet, the second time around
Episode 205 is all about love the second time around. And watching that episode makes us believe that love can be as fun, sweet, and magical the second time around. Just ask Tina Knowles and Niecy Nash.
3. Love doesn’t come in a perfect baggage
Nowadays (especially with social media) we tend to think that love is supposed to come in this perfect package. They need to have money, they need to have perfect credit, and a perfect body.
Viola Davis didn’t have perfect credit and Cory Hardict says he was broke when they met their significant other. Everyone comes to the table with baggage, don’t let social media fool you.
4. The rough times are (almost) guaranteed
Flex Alexander had tears in his eyes telling the rough times in his marriage, when his career was struggling and financial woes came knocking on the door. We had tears in our eyes as well, listening to how their love persevered. The lesson is that the rough times are almost guaranteed in any relationship, be it financial, infidelity, communication issues, etc. But love can (almost) conquer all.
5. Honesty from the gate-go is key
Ok, maybe we should have put this first. It appears that with many of the couples, honesty was a crucial part of the beginning of the relationship. Most of the couples either told the other party everything about their past, confessed right away they were going through a divorce, or some other form of keeping it real. Honesty definitely seemed like a corner stone in each of these relationships.
6. Somebody’s past is not necessarily their future
One of the most inspiring couples on the series are actress Meagan Good and husband producer DeVon Franklin. Meagan was known in the industry as a “party girl”, but DeVon didn’t see her in that light. He saw that she is a multi dimensional person and her past doesn’t necessary need to hold her hostage. So the “party girl” ended up marrying the “squeaky clean” minister.
7. Sacrifice is not defeat
Here at Black Excellence, we are a big promoters of making necessary sacrifices. It is a vital part of achieving your goals, be it a successful business, that body you want, or a relationship of your dreams.
In this docu-series, we were constantly reminded of that. Each couple definitely was willing to sacrifice to make their relationship work. Sacrifice was not a defeat or a loss for them but a means to receive a greater good.
8. Your future husband/wife might be watching you
Actor Sterling K. Brown and actress Ryan Michelle Bathe started out as friends. Sterling tells the story of how Ryan handled breaking up with an ex because he was cheating on her. And the way she handled that situation really impressed Sterling and made him look at her differently.
The moral of the story is that your future spouse might be your current friend and observing the way you handle different situations.
9. A Sense of humor goes a long way
This series is so much fun to watch party due to the sense of humor most of the couples share. They might be disputing historical facts about their relationship or infusing humor when they talk about a difficult time they shared together, but either way, it shows a sense of humor goes a long way to diffuse disagreement or tough times.
These are just 9 love lessons we learned from Black Love. Watch the complete docu-series and you will learn much, much more for yourself.
Watch it on OWN by clicking HERE