A conference in Wichita this weekend aims to give couples the tools to strengthen their marriages.
Statistics show about half of adults in the US are married, a record low. The numbers are even lower for African-Americans, about 31 percent.
SherdeillBreathett, president of the Kansas African-American Healthy Marriage Initiative, says their mission is to celebrate and provide models of a healthy marriage. She says as a whole, marriage is on the decline.
"When you look at it from the Afro-American standpoint of it, if the majority population gets the cold, the Afro-American community gets pneumonia," she says.
"So what can we do? What can we do change the tide, to enhance marriages and to make them better?"
The event will include a formal dinner Friday night featuring Dallas-based speakers Clifford and Pamela Frazier, founders of Battle For the Family.
The conference will continue with relationship workshops on Saturday and a renewing of vows on Sunday.
Breathett says quite often couples think they're the only ones going through certain problems.
"You can find out there's a lot of healing that takes place because you find out you're not alone," she says. "Then you find out what others have done to kind of remedy those various issues that you're wrestling with right now."
The event is open to anyone and will be held March 15-17.
More information is available through the Catholic Diocese of Wichita Marriage for Keeps office, (316) 712-6045.
