I was excited, butterflies in my stomach, I felt joy, I felt free, I felt Black, and I felt so loved feeling the warmth of my husband's hand on mine.By Alexandria Ingham 1 year ago Follow Tweet We were the first in our family to jump the broom. We held hands and jumped at the same time. Jumping the broom to us represented jumping into life together forever as one. I loved it, I had never seen any of my family members jump the broom and neither had Carvens. We both had learned about ‘jumping the broom’ from Black history books. Literally, a few days before the wedding Carvens suggested we jump the broom. We had both rarely been to any weddings to have anything to compare it to or reference. With all the wedding plans, we were overwhelmed we were both 24 years old trying to figure it out. I asked Carvens months before our public renewal of vows ceremony if there were any traditions he wanted us to do at our wedding. Maybe it was the wedding dress and pictures or maybe because they were there to witness us jump the broom. To be honest, the June wedding is when family and friends actually said congratulations to us and acknowledged we were married. 26, 2014 we decided to have a public renewal of vows ceremony, where we would jump the broom and have an intimate reception. “Carvens,, and I married privately at the Brooklyn courthouse on Dec. Bustle spoke to five Black women about what the special and sacred tradition means to them. While for some the custom is inherited from family members before them, others see it as their way of starting a new tradition to pass down through the ages. Today, the tradition is still regularly practiced by the Black community and has several references in pop culture, such as OutKast’s song “ Call the Law” or the 2011 film named after the tradition. Here's how it works: Once a couple has said their vows and kissed, before walking back down the aisle, they jump over the broom to leave their past behind and solidify their entrance into a safe, happy marriage. (The plotline follows the journey of Kunta Kinte, a West African warrior sold into slavery, and shows him jumping the broom with his wife, Bell.) From then on, the custom has been considered a staple in wedding ceremonies by many to honor their ancestors. After slavery ended, and Black people were allowed to have traditional weddings, the tradition fell off until the 1970s, according to Insider, with the release of Alex Haley’s book turned mini-series Roots. The tradition came to the Americas along with the Asante people during the slave trade, and played a role in solidifying partnerships during a time where enslaved people were forbidden from getting married. “The broom in Asante and other Akan cultures also held spiritual value and symbolized sweeping away past wrongs or removing evil spirits,” the African American Registry details. Its history originates in the West African country of Ghana, which was ruled by the Asante or Ashanti confederacy, where everyday brooms were a symbol in spiritual life. According to the African American Registry, the significance of the broom is deeply rooted in African American heritage. Jumping the broom symbolizes the couple’s entrance into a new life of their own creation by symbolically “sweeping away” their former lives, issues, and concerns. For the African American community, one of the best ways to celebrate the journey of single life to marriage is through the tradition of jumping the broom. For an occasion as intimate as one’s wedding day, it’s only natural to want to bring your entire self to the ceremony.
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