It's Valentine's Day! One of the most special days of the year specifically dedicated to celebrating love. What's even more special is that the holiday falls under Black History Month, a time to honor the achievements and contributions of Black Americans. On this day, whether you are single or coupled, one thing you can do is appreciate the power of Black love.
Most of us know the major Black celeb relationships like Will and Jada, Denzel and Pauletta or Beyoncé and Jay-Z. But what about the millennial dynamic duos? Why do they matter? For some, representations of thriving, young, Black love is scarce, so it's important to celebrate it whenever we can.
Here's a list of some of our favorite Black Hollywood Millennial couples to kick off a day full of romance.
1. Tia Mowry and Cory Hardrict
Tia and Cory Hardrict started as friends and grew their love into a beautiful marriage with two children. While Tia was with her twin sister Tamera, they randomly saw Hardict and gave him a ride. The couple has been together ever since.
“Her sister and her drove by, they saw me waiting and asked to give me a ride,” Cory shared in an interview. “I was embarrassed. I was downtown. They gave me a ride and we were friends ever since."
2. Meagan Good and DeVon Franklin
According to
Entertainment Tonight, the Think Like a Man actress met pastor DeVon Franklin on the set of 2011 movie, Jumping the Broom. After years of attempting celibacy in other relationships, Good got to a point where she was ready to get serious about her spiritual commitment. When she met Franklin, they hit it off, waited until marriage for sex and today continue to share their story of love and faith in their book The Wait.
"When a man finds a woman he loves, he will go through hell and high water for her even if she presents this crazy idea of waiting, and he has no desire to wait," Franklin shared.
3. Ciara and Russell Wilson
"What was your prayer, sis?" is the question that has been on everyone's minds ever since singer Ciara married Seattle Seahawks star Russell Wilson. After a very public breakup from ex Future in 2015, Ciara and her baby Future moved on with life. Fortunately, the Level Up Atlanta-native healed her wounds in the arms of Wilson.
The couple who also waited to be intimate until marriage now has a daughter together named Sienna. We still need that prayer tho Cece…
4. Ayesha and Stephen Curry
Warrior's guard Steph Curry is one lucky man. He met his wife Ayesha back in 2002 while at church. Although they didn't hit it off instantly, their flirtatious chemistry sparked a relationship that created a beautiful marriage and three awesome children.
“She would find him after church, barely say two words, and like walk away. I would look at her like ‘God, she’s so lame.’ He clearly liked it. It left an impression," Stephen’s sister, Sydel Curry, shared with the Mercury News.
5. Yvonne Orji and Emmanuel Acho
Insecure star Yvonne Orji confirmed to us that God hears all prayers when she announced her relationship to former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho. The proud Christian and 35-year-old virgin shared in an interview with The Breakfast Club that although her character Molly is sexually liberated, she plans to wait until marriage.
Sis — you also need to give us your prayer.
6. Keith Powers and Ryan Destiny
Young, Black and gifted is an understatement when referring to Keith Powers and Ryan Destiny. The pair, who are both actors, look like the poster children of young, Black love. Destiny, has been working in Hollywood since childhood and currently acts on the hit show Star. Her boyfriend Powers, who starred in the BET miniseriesThe New Edition Story, met his boo at a Teen Vogue party in 2015.
The official item often share cutesy photos of each other one on their Instagram pages and we love it. Keep it going, guys!
7. Karrueche Tran and Victor Cruz
Chris Brown, who? After breaking Tran's heart multiple times from his relationship with ex-girlfriend Rihanna to cheating and getting another woman pregnant, we are all happy to see her win. According to US Magazine, the Claws actress and NFL player Victor Cruz started seeing each other back in 2017 and have no plans of slowing down.
8. Gucci Mane and Keyshia Ka'oir
When rapper Gucci Mane was released from prison in 2016, it was his girlfriend Keyshia Ka'oir who was there to receive him with open arms. The woman who he attributes to helping him dramatically lose weight became his wife in 2017.
"Gucci has always meant a lot to me. A lot of times, I feel like he’s misunderstood. I know that I’m one of the few people that really understands him," Ka'oir told Fader in an interview. "I was his biggest support system, and no matter what he goes through I’m going to be there for him. Why would I turn my back on him now?"
9. Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert
Our list wraps up with one of our favorite couples, Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert. The R&B singer and basketball player, who shared their love story with the world on their show Teyana & Iman, have a beautiful daughter. Iman Tayla Shumpert, Jr. was delivered with love by Shumpert himself on their bathroom floor.
"Eyes full of tears and barely able to speak to the emergency operator," Taylor shared on Instagram about her husbands' reaction during the birth of their child. "She opened her eyes right away, gazed into mine and never cried!"
Aww — we love, love. Happy Valentine's Day!
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