“Meet Me at the Altar” Heterosexual Black Men and Marriage: A Content Analysis

ABSTRACT: Few empirical studies have explored heterosexual Black men’s perceptions and experiences with marriage. This content analysis systematically reviewed the scholarship on heterosexual Black men and marriage published in five databases from 1996 to 2020 (24 years). We sought to understand (a) what methodologies were used, (b) whether the articles were strength-based, neutral, or deficit-based, (c) which topics were published most, and (d) differences in sample demographics investigated among the Black men. Using human coding and an integrative approach, we found only 15 articles that met the criteria. Sixty percent of studies took a strength-based perspective; however, two authors wrote a large portion of those articles. Forty-six (46.67%) of the articles focused on topics about Black men’s attitudes toward marriage. Qualitative methodology was the most published, and publications overlooked younger Black men’s experience and attitudes toward marriage. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.