How long have you been married?
Antwan and Renee: We will be married 12 years this March 2014.
How did you guys meet?
Antwan and Renee: We met at Club 112 in Atlanta.
What were your first impressions of each other?
Antwan: She was very nice looking and easy to talk to.
Renee: I thought he was really cute.
What made you want to get married?
Antwan: I thought she would make the ideal wife and mother of my children. It really couldn’t get any better than her.
Renee: We had been dating for two years so I knew we were compatible. I didn’t want to date anyone else.
How did you propose?
Antwan and Renee: There really wasn’t too much of a proposal but more of a decision we made together.
How does your faith play into your marriage?
Antwan and Renee: Faith keeps us married. No faith equals no marriage. Our faith is the key part of our marriage and keeps us tied down. We pray together and go to church together. God is the head of our life; on one accord and equally yoked.
Do you have any marriage survival tips?
Antwan: Communicate and be patient. Marriage is a compromise.
Renee: Women out there, don’t take everything so personal. Also, ask for what you want specifically. Don’t just assume that men know what you want.
How do you keep the fire burning in your relationship?
Antwan and Renee: Try to be deliberate and intentional about it. That’s my biggest shortcoming. We try to do date nights often.
Is there anything you would do differently looking back on your marriage?
Renee: I would devote more time to my husband and more time to be with each other.
Why do you think African Americans have the lowest marriage rate, but the largest divorce rate?
Antwan and Renee: I think some of the issue is the financial issues and another reason is selfishness. In all relationships, there will be issues but having financial stability makes things a little bit easier to work things out. Often times, our men are selfish. They don’t want to step up to the plate and take care of their responsibilities. Blacks are most affected by various crises in society and it manifests itself in black marriages.
If you were giving advice to a couple who wanted to get married, what would you say?
Antwan and Renee: Just make sure you have quality time to get to know each other before you get married.
What does marriage mean to you?
Antwan and Renee: Marriage means partner, commitment – a lifetime commitment, with your partner. It’s work that’s worthwhile.
