Jake and Mary Jacobs marked their 70th anniversary of a happy marriage last year, but their journey wasn’t simple.
Mary, who is White, and Jake, who is Black, lived in the same city in 1940s Britain. At that time, there weren’t many Black men there.
Even though Mary’s father told her to leave, Mary chose love over easy choices.
“When I told my father I was going to marry Jake, he said, ‘If you marry that man, you will never set foot in this house again.’”
Mary and Jake first met at a technical college where Mary was learning typing and shorthand, and Jake was undergoing Air Force training. They met during the war when Jake moved from Trinidad to Britain.
Jake impressed Mary with his understanding of Shakespeare, and they got to know each other. One day, they invited Mary and her friend to join them for a picnic. Unfortunately, someone passing by saw them and reported Mary to her father. The woman was shocked to see two English girls talking with black guys. After this incident, Mary wasn’t allowed to visit her father again.
After Jake returned to Trinidad, they kept in touch through letters. A few years later, he came back to the U.K. to find a better-paying job.
Jake surprised Mary by proposing, and she, at 19, said yes. However, when she told her family, they kicked her out.
“I left with only one small suitcase. No family came to our registry office wedding in 1948.”
Mary’s father was upset about her marrying a black man, and Mary didn’t realize that society felt the same way.
The early years of their marriage in Birmingham were tough. Mary cried every day, hardly ate, and they faced many challenges. Nobody would talk to them, they couldn’t find a place to live because nobody would rent to a black man, and they had little money.
Even walking down the street together was hard because people would point at them, Mary explained.
Mary and Jake were excited to become parents, but at eight months, Mary gave birth to a stillborn child. She mentioned it wasn’t due to the stress she was under, but it deeply saddened them, and they didn’t have any more children.
As time passed, their lives improved. Mary became a teacher and eventually an assistant principal, while Jake found a job with the Post Office. They made new friends, but Mary felt the need to explain to people that her husband was black before introducing them.
“My father passed away when I was 30, and even though we reconciled by then, he never approved of Jake,” she shared.
Currently, Jake, 89, and Mary, 84, live in Solihull, a town south of Birmingham. They recently celebrated 70 years of marriage.
Jake said he has no regrets, but he also mentioned that today’s black youth may not fully understand the challenges he faced in 1940s Britain.
“When I arrived in the U.K., I faced abuse every day. Once, on a bus, a man rubbed his hands on my neck and said, ‘I wanted to see if the dirt would come off.’ Back then, working in an office as a black man with white girls wasn’t considered safe,” Jake explained.
Despite all the challenges, bias, and abuse, the pair is still deeply in love and has no regrets about being married. They have been happily married for more than 70 years.
These two are a true inspiration, and I wish them a lifetime of pleasure because of the love they have for one another.
BEN AFFLECK & JENNIFER GARNER’S NEW PHOTOS LEAK AMID J.LO’S DIVORCE DRAMA – HERE’S THE SCOOP
Before they ended their relationship, broke off their engagement, and fell out of love, they were one of the most famous couples in the entertainment industry in the early 2000s.
In 2021, “Bennifer” got back together, making fans around the world very happy. But despite hopes for a happy ending, things didn’t work out as planned.
Recently, there were rumors that Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were having problems. This week, Lopez filed for divorce from Affleck. It’s worth noting that August 20 was the second anniversary of their surprise Las Vegas wedding.
Of course, there’s been a lot of buzz about Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s decision to get a divorce. Almost every magazine and website covering celebrities is trying to find out how Ben and JLo are doing.
Meanwhile, Ben was seen getting off a plane with his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, and their child, Fin. He didn’t seem upset at all on the day Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner were seen taking a flight to Los Angeles after dropping off their daughter Violet at her college in Connecticut. All eyes were on Ben as he got off the plane, and fans were quick to share their thoughts on his demeanor.
One user on Instagram commented, “He seems relieved \ go Ben! ],” while another said, “He looks ecstatic. He rarely smiles like that, wow.” A third user remarked, “He’s celebrating.”
Even though this was likely just a family outing for Violet, the fact that Ben was seen with his ex-wife on the same day Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce made headlines.
Some people online were thrilled to see Ben with Garner and even speculated about the possibility of them rekindling their romance.
“He’s smiling again! He should stay with his family forever. \\\,” a fan wrote on Facebook.
Another admirer commented, “He’s always happy around @jennifer.garner . I hope they get back together because not every divorce ends badly. They were together for years and have kids.”
A third person said, “He knows where his true love is and where he feels safe and loved! Family is the most important thing.”
One online user suggested, “Garner might be dating someone just to cover up her relationship with Ben, which is why his other relationships don’t last .” This implies that Ben and Jennifer Garner might be getting closer again.
Reports also say that Garner celebrated her 52nd birthday with Affleck on August 15, just five days before the divorce news, at the rental house in Brentwood, California, where he currently lives.
It’s important to remember that any rumors suggesting Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner are more than just co-parents are just that—rumors. They should be taken lightly.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez, who has canceled her planned North American tour for this year, is rumored to have filed for divorce without a lawyer, suggesting she wants to handle it herself.
TMZ reports that there was no prenuptial agreement between JLo and Ben, as shown in the divorce filings.
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