What Relationships Mean in a New Era
The lines in the image, “Not to be rescued … but to be witnessed … Not for performance , but for partnership” bear a weight that feels almost rebellious today. As digital apps, shifting gender norms and evolving values remap how we meet, love and commit, the lived reality of relationships is changing fast.
But what does the data tell us about where we are now, especially for Black couples?
In the United States, the pattern is stark. Black adults tend to experience higher rates of marital dissolution than many other racial and ethnic groups. Studies show that at nearly every age, Black women have higher divorce rates than white women. In 2018, there were about 31 divorces per 1,000 married Black women, compared with 17.3 marriages per 1,000.
Under those conditions, conditional on ever marrying, a larger share of Black first marriages end…
