Arthur & Ruby Lawrence
At the ages of 16 and 18, Arthur and Ruby Lawrence got married on the back porch of a farmhouse in Wake Forest, North Carolina. After a brief celebration of fried fish and lemonade, they began their lives as a family – going on to have nine children. The Lawrences moved up north for better employment opportunities and have lived in the same home in Rhode Island since around 1945.
They became a ‘power couple,’ embarking on great endeavors in their time from starting a church in their home in 1952, to establishing a scholarship fund that has recently honored six students with scholarships to major universities across America. A North Carolina community center was also named after them. President Obama and First Lady Michele sent a letter of recognition to commemorate the Lawrence’s 70th Anniversary. The Lawrence’s best advice to Black couples is:
“you have to always forgive them. You don’t forget but you have to forgive. You never forget nothing I don’t care what it is. You will always think about it forever but you have to forgive or you wont be forgiven.”
