Black Couples Speak and Exclusive Clip From OWN’s Black Love Season 5, Premiering May 14
Today, the fifth season of its popular and ground-breaking four-time NAACP nominated docu-series “Black Love” will premiere on Friday, May 14 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network . “Black Love” makes its return to Friday nights where it will join OWN’s dating series “Ready to Love.” During its previous run on Fridays, the series which celebrates love stories from the Black community was ranked #1 in its time slot across all cable with African American W25-54.
“Black Love,” created by husband-and-wife filmmakers Codie and Tommy Oliver continue to present real, honest, emotional, and transparent love stories from some of the most successful people in business and entertainment as well as everyday couples. The new season will feature Chance and Tabitha Brown, R&B singer Kenny Lattimore and Judge Faith Jenkins, Grammy winner Ledisi and husband Ron Young, Singer/Songwriter Tank and Zena Foster, “Greenleaf” actor Keith David and his wife Dionne, Stylist Jason Bolden, and interior designer Adair Curtis, plus others who will discuss topics from early days of marriage to navigating finances, religious differences, parenting, and the unexpected twists that are part of every couples’ journey.
Each episode of “Black Love,” seeks to answer the burning question, “What does it take to make a marriage work?” The Olivers first launched the show as newlyweds and with each new season of “Black Love,” they continue to increase representation and create transparency around marriage in the Black community. The Olivers have now been married for six years and are raising three sons under five years old. As their marriage and family have quickly evolved, the show’s exploration of marital topics and themes have also deepened.
In speaking about why they got involved with the series, here what the couples had to say,
Kenny Lattimore: I was a huge fan even before Faith and I got together. I thought that Black Love was an integral and positive show about love and really sharing the entire experience about falling in love and growing in love. And it was a super informative. So to be a part of it, I thought it was amazing to be asked to share some of our wisdom or experience. It was an honor.
Judge Faith Jenkins: I am all about promoting positivity in the culture. And we have been asked to be part of a few shows, and we said no. But Black Love represents what we want to represent, which is sharing stories that could possibly uplift people, possibly inspire people, but at the same time, being authentic about what your obstacles are and what challenges you face and how you overcome them. I've always been inspired by hearing people's stories of how they've overcome what lessons that they've learned. And in hearing them and and using it as a tool for growth for myself. So I've never been public with a relationship before Kenny. So it was a really big deal for me to even be public with ours when we got engaged and got married. So I thought this was the perfect platform to share our story.
Ledisi: We were asked before about our lives and a lot of different people wanted to be nosy. We had magazines and we did our wedding in secrecy. I'm very private about my family and my personal life. So Black Love just felt so natural and really safe. I love Codie and Tommy.
Ron Young: Already, so just seeing how they handle the dynamic of it, and like she said, we had magazines and some other people asking to send them the pictures but we were keep doing that for ourselves. But to share this story, people always ask us questions like “How did you guys get together?” in this and that, so this felt this felt pretty cool.
Dionne: I'm with Ledisi and Ron on this. We have managed to stay together for 20 years. We've been together over 20 years because we don't allow people into our lives too much and ever meddle into our marriage. We don't need any negative feedback because we're trying to do something positive for ourselves and for our family. We have three children. And it's important that they get to live their lives as their lives. This show seems important for younger folks who don't get to see longevity and marriage. I think for people in this industry that do get married, they may not see longevity, particularly in people of color. And so it felt if that like this was the time and we are pretty solid we could share our story.
Keith David: I’m not a big fan of reality be outside a few shows. I really do know what black love means, but good love is good love in whatever culture or color it comes in. I believe in love. I believe in in love ness. The youth culture of today don't seem to think that may be true. But I like to think that I will be in love like Ledisi and Kenny Lattimore certified.