At first I was a bit surprised at the amount of public attention paid to the Russell and Kimora Lee Simmons divorce beyond the traditional gossip that accompanies a high profile seperation. Based on what I’m gathering from various web sites, magazines, and radio call-in shows, many Black people were genuinely sad to see the two break up. Although I didn’t want them to break up, I certainly wasn’t shocked that a famous couple seperated. Why were other people so emotionally invested in this marriage?

After thinking about it a little more, however, I realized how important it is for Black people to see successful, happy, and loving Black couples (both gay and straight) in the public sphere. Through these couples, many of us are given access to functional families for the first time. (Perhaps this is why Alicia Keys’ hit song “Unbreakable”, which references Russell and Kimora, is so addictive despite its “wrote it on the way to the studio” feel)

Of course, these famous families are often just as messed up as everyone else’s. Who knew how messed up the Jackson’s were when the Jackson Five was at the height of its fame? How many people outside of Hollywood knew that Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee had an “open relationship” that Ruby Dee hated? Still, the public representation of couples like Ossie & Ruby Dee, Will & Jada, and Bill & Camille (before he got caught actin’ the fool), remind us that long term committed relationships are both viable and valuable for Black people. Given the information provided in a recent Washington Post article entitled “Marriage is for White People”, this is not a taken for granted assumption for many of us.