Jake and Mary Jacobs have just celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary, but their journey hasn’t been an easy one.

Mary, who is White, and Jake, who is Black, met in 1940s Britain when there were very few Black men in the city. Despite Mary’s father’s disapproval, she chose love over everything else.

Mary and Jake first crossed paths at a technical college where Mary was studying typing and shorthand. Jake, on the other hand, was undergoing Air Force training. Their connection grew during the war when Jake moved from Trinidad to Britain.

Jake’s deep understanding of Shakespeare impressed Mary, and they started getting to know each other better. One day, they invited Mary’s friend to join them for a picnic. Unfortunately, someone passing by saw them and reported Mary to her father. The sight of two English girls talking with black men shocked the onlooker. As a result, Mary was forbidden from seeing her father again.

Even when Jake returned to Trinidad, they maintained their bond through letters. A few years later, he came back to the U.K. in search of better job opportunities.

Jake surprised Mary with a proposal, and at the age of 19, she said yes. However, when she broke the news to her family, they disowned her.

“I left home with just one small suitcase, and neither of our families attended our wedding in 1948,” Mary shared.

Mary’s father’s disapproval was not an isolated sentiment. Society, too, did not approve of interracial marriages. The early years of their marriage in Birmingham were incredibly challenging. Mary cried every day, struggled to eat, and faced numerous obstacles. They were socially isolated, unable to find accommodation as many refused to rent to a black man, and finances were scarce.

Even walking down the street was fraught with difficulties as people stared and pointed at them, causing Mary great distress.

Mary and Jake’s dreams of parenthood were met with tragedy when Mary gave birth to a stillborn child at just eight months. Although the loss was not caused by the stress they endured, it deeply saddened them, and they never had any more children.

With time, their circumstances improved. Mary pursued a career in teaching, eventually becoming an assistant principal, while Jake found a job with the Post Office. They made new friends, but Mary always felt the need to disclose Jake’s race before introducing him.

“My father passed away when I was 30, and even though we reconciled by then, he never approved of Jake,” she revealed.

Now aged 89 and 84, Jake and Mary reside in Solihull, a town located south of Birmingham. They recently celebrated their remarkable 70-year marriage.

Reflecting on their journey, Jake has no regrets. However, he acknowledges that today’s black youth may not fully comprehend the challenges he faced in 1940s Britain.

“When I arrived in the U.K., I encountered daily abuse. 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, being a black man working in an office with white girls was considered unsafe,” Jake revealed.

Despite the countless obstacles, prejudice, and abuse they endured, Jake and Mary remain deeply in love and have no regrets about their marriage. They have spent over seven decades together, serving as an inspiration to us all.

Let us celebrate their enduring love and wish them a lifetime of happiness.