Research continually finds that those who marry live longer, on average, and tend to be healthier than those who never marry, divorce, or become widowed. Marriage has been demonstrated to positively impact wealth attainment, mental health, and social status. While there has been a decline in marriage for the general U.S. population, African Americans have the lowest marriage rates and the highest divorce rate of any other ethnic group. Despite these findings, survey data indicate that African Americans continue to place a high value on marriage as well as desire marriage. A legacy of anti-Black racism, discrimination, and oppression has profoundly shaped the African American family structure and has impacted marriage rates and marriage success. There is a dearth of research and curriculum specifically developed to address the unique factors related to marital satisfaction in African American couples. However, it stands to reason that addressing these factors can contribute to relationship fulfillment and stability among married African American couples. The authors attest to the need for a premarital counseling curriculum for African American heterosexual couples that specifically addresses the unique history of African Americans and the challenges experienced in their marriages.

This chapter examines Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) with Black couples. Important clinical considerations (e.g., racial realities of anti-Blackness) are provided that must be integrated within the EFT therapy model to provide an appropriate adaptation that is culturally responsive couples therapy. EFT and attachment theory will need to be significantly modified to be a culturally responsive therapy to meet the needs of Black couples. Adult attachment needs to be conceptualized from a network approach (e.g., multiple relationships/collectivism) instead of only a dyadic perspective. In addition, acculturation (i.e., racial identity), race/ethnicity, institutional decimation and Black sex ratios, marriage, anti-Black racism, internalized stereotypes (anti-Blackness), Strong Black Woman/Superwoman Schema, John Henryism, and religion and spirituality are all important factors to consider in providing culturally responsive care and clinical interventions that strengthen treatment approaches with Black couples.

This volume encompasses five sections and 16 chapters. Each section is composed of chapters with similar themes and focal areas. Each chapter was written to stand independently, which allows the reader to select chapters most relevant to their work or curiosity. Each chapter is structured to provide a sociocultural understanding of the factors that influence African American coupling, the impact of anti-Black racism and its manifestation in the couple dynamic, along with intervention strategies. A list of questions is provided at the end of each chapter to encourage the reader to reflect on the main themes and their application. The themes of the five sections are racism and identity; fundamentals for healthy coupling; adapting major therapeutic approaches for work with Black couples; sex and intimacy, and special topics, including infertility issues of Black lesbians and Black men and couples dealing with medical illness.

This chapter explores infidelity in Black committed relationships. Research indicates that the instability of Black relationships is directly related to the effects of racial trauma that Black men and women continue to endure. Due to the emotional and psychological wounds caused by systemic oppression, internalized stereotypes, and other factors, Black men and women often wear a mask, ultimately suppressing their authentic selves. A sociological phenomenon called covering is discussed to frame, expand, and make meaning of the ways Black men and women in relationship have learned to survive and protect themselves from further emotional bruising. A case study using Narrative Therapy addresses covering while attending to the language used to shape a couple’s reality. Discovering an alternative solution to other possibilities expands the couple’s sense of self and other to ultimately redefine their story.

This research investigated patterns of African American couples’ positive and negative stereotyping and perceptions of couple adjustment and examined the relationship between demographic variables and African American couples’ positive/negative stereotyping of each other and couple adjustment. Respondents (n = 142; 101 females, 41 males) were 18 years or older, second-generation African Americans in a heterosexual relationship. The significant findings in this study were as follows: (a) older age is correlated with negative stereotypes of Black females and of Black males; (b) women who had a higher education endorsed more stereotypes of negative Black females than those who did not complete high school; (c) females had higher negative stereotypes of Black women and Black men than males; and (d) both being in a committed relationship and holding positive stereotypes related highly to overall adjustment in this sample of African Americans. Implications for further research and clinical work with African American couples are discussed.