Mom and Dad’s wedding reception in July 1970.
Laidback ceremony.
Dad asked for all of mom’s money. He took out a brown paper bag and put her money in it with his and said ‘what’s yours is mine and what’s mine is your’s.’ Miami Black activist Theodore Gibson was the wedding pastor. Gibson did an hour of marriage counseling (‘you sure about this...ok cool), served them some tea in the chapel, and it was done. Gibson and his wife Thelma were prominent desegregation and equality activists in Coconut Grove.
Google them if you're interesting in some fascinating Black history leaders...and wedding ministers. There are schools named after Theodore and Thelma. My parents' connection to the Gibson's is probably why the FBI was snooping around during some incidents later on in life. People forget that Miami was/is the deep south with flamingos.
Anyway, Theodore was an episcopal canon at his church. Dad paid him $20 for the service. My parents didn't want to spend a lot of money on the service in case things didn't work out. They were together for 50 years. A good return on the investment of $20 and a brown paper bag of pocket change.
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