Quantcast
RELATED

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was murdered in broad daylight and our country became the battleground for a war against injustice. It was on that day that five children lost a father, a fiance lost her groom-to-be, and a community lost a friend. Before long, protests began, profile images were blacked out, and an influx of police brutality videos began circulating on social media, so much so, that it seems like the overall theme for this year has been death, depression, and violence.

But my daddy always told me, when there ain't no beauty, make some, and that's exactly what happened when protestors joined forces with a newlywed husband and wife to capture a viral moment that would give us all the smile we didn't know we needed this week.

When Kerry Anne and Michael Gordon planned their mid-pandemic "micro wedding", a small ceremony designed with social distancing regulations in mind, their biggest concern was the rain, little did they know, their wedding would fall on the same day as the largest Black Lives Matter protest ever held in Philadelphia.

The couple, who had already been forced to postpone their wedding once before due to the pandemic and conflicting work schedules, decided to push forward with their wedding plans and were surprised with a wedding gift they would never forget moments before their first look. In an interview with Vogue, Michael explained:

"I was around the corner; I couldn't see Kerry and was just waiting. All of a sudden I started hearing the crowd around the corner, and I [realized] it was all for Kerry. I come running around the corner and I see Kerry standing with a circle of people around her just cheering, and she's literally standing there looking like a Black princess. That's all I see. These peaceful protestors, positive energy, cheering, yelling, people with their phones out taking pictures and videos. And Kerry's just standing there looking beautiful as can be."

He continued:

"And I walked up to her and took her hand, and she was shaking. The energy and passion and moment, everything that was going on, was just blowing through her. It was the most empowering thing to be there at that moment. The narrative of love, of Black love, doesn't always get put out there. But that's what [the movement] is about, that's what we're looking for. Black love is a beautiful thing. Black love exists. Black love is powerful."

Videos of Kerry Anne and Michael's special day, which have now gained millions of views online, are a potent reminder that even when the world is in shambles, love truly conquers all.

Featured image by VilliersSteyn/Getty Images

 

RELATED

 
ALSO ON XONECOLE
Taurus-April-2025-monthly-horoscopes

May is about being patient, nurturing your dreams, and creating beauty in your world. This is a more stable and generous month than the chaos that April brought, and we get an opportunity for closure, healing, and rejuvenation this month. We are still amid some important retrograde transits, but these are ones we can navigate better by grounding our energy in the present moment, and not allowing ourselves to stress over the what-ifs.

With the Sun in Taurus for most of the month, May reminds us that there is beauty in finding your peace and not allowing anyone to disrupt that.

KEEP READINGShow less
Young black woman relaxing lying on green grass smiling with hands behind head

There are people in my family who are worry addicts in denial. If they have a sore throat, they talk about the possibility of it being cancer. If they are short on cash for rent, they already see themselves out on the street. If their significant other doesn't pick up before the third ring, they've resigned that they are being cheated on. Ugh. These people are extremely exhausting to be around, so I can only imagine what it's like to actually be them. Oh, wait. I've got a clue.

It's listed right there in the definition of worry—"to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret." Did you catch it? When you make the choice to worry—because it is always a decision; it's not something that "just happens"—you have chosen to torment yourself. What in the world?

KEEP READINGShow less
LATEST POSTS