OUR STORY

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy; it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others; it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

The lives of Detroit native Ja'Mel Ware (via Madison, WI) and Military Brat Alphonso Mills were forever changed on November 16th, 2018, at Purple Corkscrew Wine Shop.

Love has a decorous way of creeping into your life when you begin accepting yourself. Ja'Mel (he/him), on the rise to a new business venture in Atlanta, and Alphonso (she/he), redefining identity and sufficiency in self, found each other in a space that brought both of them peace - church. It was a tender hug that planted the seed for a flower that wouldn't bloom until months later. After planning a second date before parking to begin the first date, it was clear there was a divine connection between our two spirits that had been connected for lifetimes.

Though the last few years have not been perfect, we are thankful for our individual and collective growth, as well as our tribe, which has embraced us like family. Through the process, we have learned forgiveness, boundaries, sacrifice, and understanding, and we continue to encourage each other to do the work required to heal for a brighter future. We advocate for therapy and encourage everyone to seek help. We are who we are because of the struggles we face, the way we work individually and together to become the people God has designed us to be.

Our Black Love is powerful in its celebration of freedom and its strength in building community. Our Black Queer Love confronts the constructs of society's vision of love, breaking barriers that have held LGBTQ people in the shadows, allowing the celebration of pride. Our Black Queer story is one of love that stands on the shoulders of our ancestors - straight and queer - who fought for our right to be our authentic selves and bring a child into this world as a legacy of our freedom to love.

We hope that everyone takes the time to ground themselves in the Love of God, allow God's love for you to usher you into radical self-love, and find a partner(s) along your self-love journey to commit to loving your growth to your best self. 

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:12-14