Bridging the Racial Divide:

When Brei saw Terae Boutard at a convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses in his hometown of Portland, she was immediately drawn to him.

While the two had racial and cultural differences, they realized they had similar upbringings. Terae did not have a father growing up and Brei’s father left when she was a child. Brei said this shared experience helped them to relate to and understand one another. Terae was attracted to Brei’s joy, kindness and happiness. They were a perfect match, and the two soon began a long-distance courtship.

As Terae visited Brei in her hometown of McKinleyville, California, they found this view was not shared by all. Brei remembers the disapproving looks from locals, as a white woman with a Black man. “It was definitely an eye opener for me to see the different responses,” she said.

The reaction from the public came as a shock to Terae and Brei because their religious community embraced them as an interracial couple with open arms.

“Within the Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, there was no reservation of us being a couple,” Terae said.

According to the Pew Research Center, one in five new marriages is now interracial. While statistics suggest that interracial marriages in America have gained greater acceptance, not all couples have that experience. Still, they have found ways to cope.

Shared religious faith along with a community of fellow believers have been invaluable in navigating the cultural complexities.

Terae explained that making the effort to understand cultural differences is important. He added, “Shared beliefs have definitely helped our marriage because when it comes to being two separate individuals, there's a lot of differences.”

Terae and Brei grew up worshipping and associating with diverse groups of people in their congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Neither immediate family nor fellow congregants were surprised when they began to date and were later married.

According to a study conducted by the University of Utah, married couples who had shared values reported higher levels of marital happiness and individual well-being than those who did not.

The Boutards agree that love and faith are among the shared values upon which they base their marriage and family life. They credit Bible-based principles and having the same beliefs with helping them to communicate on a deeper level with one another, especially when differences of opinion come into play.

“Having a strong foundation that both of you are anchored to allows for success,” Terae said. “We’re both anchored into our love of Jehovah God.”

Terae and Brei have been married for six years and live together in Portland. They enjoy spending time in nature and traveling together.

More information on the activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses, including resources for happy family life, can be found on their official website, www.jw.org.