Logo & Testimonials / List your Classes/ Clinton Divorce Wisdom / Black Marriage Day - 3/18/10

Thu Mar 18 18:11:20 EDT 2010

- PEGGY'S EXAMPLE
- LIST YOUR CLASSES AND RETREATS
- CLINTON: DIVORCE WISDOM FROM IT TAKES A VILLAGE
- BLACK MARRIAGE DAY CELEBRATIONS

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- PEGGY'S EXAMPLE

If you could all follow Peggy Vaughan's lead and let those in your circle
know about the Conference, we'd be a lot closer to getting this
strengthen-marriage job done.  See what Peggy's posted on her website - way
to row, Peggy! 

If you can include the Smart Marriages logo, as Peggy has, email me and I'll
send it to you.  Personal testimonials about the conference posted on your
website are the best way you can help.  Send me your examples.  - diane @at
smartmarriages.com 

> Diane,  I have now added the SmartMarriages logo you sent (along with links to
> info about the Conference) to the page I maintain permanently on my site:
> "SmartMarriages Seminars and Courses about Marriage."
> http://www.dearpeggy.com/2-affairs/seminars.html

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- LIST YOUR CLASSES AND RETREATS

I'm getting lots of calls from couples looking for classes and retreats who
are frustrated at how hard it is to find a program.  If you offer classes, I
strongly encourage you to list them on the Directory.  It's $75 a year for a
listing (which is a good start), but it's even better and more helpful to
couples if you add the SCHEDULE option and list your class/weekend DATES -
listing with schedule option is $225 a year.

And, if you have a listing, PLEASE send me updates to your schedule.  -
diane

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- CLINTON: DIVORCE WISDOM FROM IT TAKES A VILLAGE
It turns out Hillary Clinton is a great supporter of efforts to slow the
divorce machine.  Here's her wisdom  that I'm sure a bunch of you Divorce
Reform Crusaders can use   from her 1996 book It Takes a Village, brought
to us courtesy of John Crouch of Americans for Divorce Reform.

> 00:37:40 CLINTON: [If I were no longer First Lady] I would like to do
> full-time what I did for 25 years part time, which is to be a voice for
> children, and to do it in a way that tries to bring people together,  to build
> a consensus. I think if you scrape away the far ends of the political debate,
> you find most people clustered around the middle: worrying about their
> children¹s future, trying to figure out how to make their schools more
> effective, trying to think about how to control television and these other
> things we've discussed. And I really believe there is an opportunity now for
> people to get beyond partisan arguments and ideology to say, ³What works for
> kids?²
> 
> CLINTON: The divorce debate: For a long time I¹ve been advocating that divorce
> should be more difficult when you have children. That¹s not a conservative or
> a liberal or a Republican or Democratic issue. We now know that divorce hurts
> kids. So what can we do as adults either to slow it down, or if it is going to
> occur, to make its impact as limited as possible on the well being of
> children? That¹s the kind of discussion I would like to be in a role of
> helping to bring about in our country.
> 
> 00:38:45    LAMB: How do you change the divorce laws? How do you slow that
> down?
> 
> 00:38:51    CLINTON: I talk about perhaps a braking mechanism. Making it a
> little harder, a little longer for people with children to divorce. Requiring
> mandatory counseling and education so that parents  if they can¹t get back
> together and work out their own differences ‹ perhaps can understand more
> clearly why using children as pawns in debates over property and support is
> terrible for kids and coming to some understanding about how they can together
> help raise their children even after a divorce.
> 
> 00:39:18    LAMB: You talk about both the French and the Germans as having
> some things that are better than what we do here?
> 
> 00:39:24    CLINTON: And other cultures as well.
> 

http://tinyurl.com/yhync8d

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- BLACK MARRIAGE DAY CELEBRATIONS
Here are just a few of the MANY MANY Black Marriage Day Celebrations taking
place across the country.  Makes me so optimistic.  For more info, go to the
source: http://www.blackmarriageday.com/Black_Marriage_Day/Welcome.html   -
diane 

- MADISON COUNTY, ALABAMA
Premiere screening of
³YOU SAVED ME²
Produced by Lamar and Ronnie Tyler
An African American married couple who
Made the Essence ³Power Couples On the Move² List
MARCH 28th, 3:00-6:00 PM
Tickets: VIP: $12; General: $7
Contact: 256-489-3924
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzkmGkgZEg4  (See movie trailer on You Tube)
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- CINCINNATI: 
The Greater Cincinnati Black Marriage Weekend Celebration, presented by the
African American Healthy Marriage Coalition of Southwest Ohio, has free
events set for Saturday.

"Healthy Black Marriages  - Next Generation" is aimed at families, couples,
singles and youth, with a focus on how to teach young people about
relationships and marriage.

The event, 8 a.m.2- p.m. at the Millennium Hotel, downtown, will feature
speakers, exhibits, a Black Marriage Hall of Fame ceremony, a Gospel
soloist, a drama production and workshops. Advance registration is required:
513-720-0487.

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-TAMPA: YOU & ME, WE

Annual 2010 Tampa Bay Black Marriage Day Celebration
The Weekly Challenger
3/13/2010 

ST. PETERSBURG  Black Marriage Day was established in 2001 to highlight the
benefits of marriage, pay tribute to successful marriages, and to promote
marriage in the Black Community.  It was founded in Washington, D.C., by the
Wedded Bliss Foundation.  Marriage advocates in more than 300 cities
participated in 2009.

³We¹re creating a cultural shift in the Black community to reconsider
marriage and celebrate the joy that exists in spite of the pain we often
experience,² Wedded Bliss Foundation Executive Director, Nisa Muhammad,
said. ³It is a proven fact that Black married men make more money, they are
greater accumulators of wealth, live longer, and are healthier. Further,
successful marriages free women from the burden of parenting and providing
at the same time. It provides children with the comfort of both financial
and emotional stability and marriage gives children access to the two most
important people in their lives on a day to day basis,² she added.

For the second year, You & Me,WE, a program of Family Resources, is
sponsoring the annual Tampa Bay Black Marriage Day celebration. The 2nd
Annual Tampa Bay Marriage Hall of Fame competition takes place as part of
the annual 2010 Tampa Bay Black Marriage Day celebration on Sunday, March
28th. You & Me,WE has extended the deadline for accepting nominations for
the Marriage Hall of Fame until 12:00 a.m. Tuesday, March 16th. The Marriage
Hall of Fame competition finalists of the contest will be announced during
the Black Marriage Day celebration on March 28th, at the FREE reception from
2:00 4:00 p.m. at the Carter G. Woodson Museum located at 2240 9th Ave. S.,
St. Petersburg.  All members of the community are welcome to attend.
To NOMINATE A COUPLE, complete an application online at www.youandmewe.org
(click on ³Black Marriage Day²). There are two categories for the Black
Marriage Hall of Fame nominations: 1) couples married not more than 10 years
(Mentors) and 2) couples married at least 20 years (Role Models). All
couples nominated must include at least one African-American spouse.
Candidates must be nominated by community members; self-nominations will not
be accepted.  The keynote for the event is Gregory Johnson, President/CEO of
the Pinellas County Urban League and the emcee is Ginger Gadsden, 10
Connects News Anchor.  The event is open to the public, it is FREE of
charge, and however attendees are asked to RSVP (www.youandmewe.org or call
727.528.5831). 

³In many ways, The Obamas have given visual hope to Black America, and to
marriage in the Black community. They have raised the standards of how a
husband and wife are supposed to behave. If you ask most African-Americans
what is their picture of a happy, black marriage and family, they note The
Huxtables (fictional characters).  Now, we are witnessing a real life happy
marriage,² Stephanie Brown explained.  Stephanie M. Brown is the Community
Relations Specialist for You&Me.WE.

Family Resources, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to
serving the children, youth and families in Pinellas County since 1970 and
Manatee County since 1992.  Accredited by the Council on Accreditation for
Children and Family Services since 1996, Family Resources is recognized as
the agency to turn to in the event of a family relationship crisis. Programs
are designed to encourage the personal development of children and youth
while working to strengthen and support healthy relationships among family
members. Safe shelter, counseling, education, outreach, and appropriate
referral and follow-up services are delivered in an atmosphere of caring,
giving and acceptance. Family Resources¹ mission is to strengthen families
and build better communities by providing prevention, support and counseling
services to children, teens and families.