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.
She Really Needs New Pants’: Users Discuss Jennifer Lopez’s ‘Dirty’ Jeans on an Outing with Daughter Emme
Jennifer Lopez was photographed in jeans covered with dirt while shopping with her daughter Emme in Los Angeles, on October 30, 2024.
The pop star stepped out confidently in a relaxed, casual outfit recently, but fans were quick to express their disapproval of her jeans, questioning their style and age appropriateness.
Lopez popped out with her daughter Emme in Acne Studios’s Super Baggy Fit Jeans, which are mid-waist. The brand’s website describes these super wide-leg pants as having “fading and smudging throughout,” contributing to a trendy construction worker-chic aesthetic that is currently fashionable.
To balance the shabby aesthetic of her wide-leg pants, “The Mother” star paired them with refined pieces, including a ribbed & Other Stories Mock Neck Jumper and a large Bottega Veneta tote bag.
On her feet, she wore Classic Twin Seam New Heights Ugg boots, a modern take on the classic suede style, featuring distinctive seams and a curved sole. Jennifer Lopez and Emme ignored the paparazzi as they stepped into American Rag Cie to shop before Halloween.
Online users had mixed reactions about Lopez’s choice of jeans during this outing. One surprised commenter questioned, “Are her pants … Dirty? Or is that the style these days?” Another seemed puzzled by her choice at her age, remarking, “I really don’t get that st [sic] 55 she dresses like this.”
An online user suggested an upgrade, “She really needs new pants,” while someone humorously urged, “The pants ..please trow [sic] them in the trash please!!!!🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪.” Meanwhile, a disappointed fan asked, “JLO my love what’s with those jeans?😢”
Yet, her look still garnered admiration. Fans wrote simple, approving notes like, “Pretty.” Another admirer gushed, “Beautiful!❤️” An amazed fan also penned, “She doesn’t age 😍.”
Others praised her style overall, “Jlo look [sic] amazing in whatever she wore😍” and another user concurred, “She’s always cute.”
Lopez is often recognized for her timeless elegance in the public eye, some of which stir lively discussions among her fanbase. Her most recent appearance isn’t the first time she has been celebrated by some and critiqued by others for her unconventional denim choice.
In April 2024, she was spotted descending a set of brownstone steps, donning a similar pair of baggy jeans like the one she wore on her outing with Emme. These jeans also appeared distressed and discolored, an unusual departure from her typically polished looks.
She paired the jeans with an elegant, long navy coat, exuding an urban chic vibe, and complemented it with a cashmere turtleneck sweater. Shielding her eyes with large sunglasses, Lopez carried a standout turquoise Chanel bag, adding a splash of opulence to the street-savvy outfit.
Despite her impeccable style history, fans were divided over this latest look. Her enthusiasts lauded her appearance, “That’s how I like her, looking great,” a sentiment seconded by others who felt Lopez could do no wrong, fashion-wise.
A second comment added to the chorus of praise, “Incredibly beautiful and elegant!! Unique Jlo!!!” emphasizing the uniqueness that Lopez brings to her style choices. Another user simply diverged from the matter at hand to declare her love for the star with, “I love Jen.”
Conversely, some fans were less than impressed. A third commenter did not mince words, declaring, “Worst jeans I’ve ever seen on a woman. Another lamented, “The outfit is elegant except for those nasty jeans😒,” while another wrote, “And those jeans look filthy!”
In similar disapproval, another user called the “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” songstress “a mess,” citing the jeans as a significant detractor from the star’s usual elegance. Another blatantly declared, “She has no dress sense!”
Meanwhile, others rallied to Lopez’s defense, clarifying the intention behind the fashion choice. One user provided a counter-narrative, “They are not dirty that is the style of those pants,” suggesting a misinterpretation by the critics.
Criticism aside, Lopez’s hallmark is her adaptable fashion sense—seamlessly shifting from street-chic flair to couture elegance, all while preserving the distinctive personal touches that are unmistakably JLo.
Lopez has long navigated the ever-shifting tides of fashion with grace, as comfortable in the rugged casualness of jeans and Timberlands as she is in the high glamour of Valentino Haute Couture.
“I like baby hairs and big hoops and gold jewelry,” she confessed, revealing the personal flourishes that anchor her diverse fashion choices. These personal touches, regardless of trends, remain steadfastly woven into the fabric of her distinctive look.
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