Area Couple Shares Love For Each Other, Family, Community

By Genoa Barrow | OBSERVER Senior Staff Writer Black love is beautiful, it’s multidimensional and it can be quite revolutionary. Celebration of Black love shouldn’t be relegated to just Valentine’s Day or Black History Month, it’s a 365-days-a-year vibe, or in the case of 2024, 366. The OBSERVER recently sat down with four area couples to talk about the power of Black love and modeling healthy relationships for their families and the wider community. This week, we feature area activists Teah Hairston and Keon Johnson, who have been together for six years. While dedicating themselves to their community, Teah Hairston and Keon Johnson also have carved out time for a relationship built on respecting one another and protecting each other’s peace. Louis Bryant III, OBSERVER. Credit: Louis Bryant III A Higher Love The moment Teah Hairston first laid eyes on Keon Johnson was caught on Facebook Live as the two were outside Golden 1 Center protesting the death of an unarmed Black man killed by Sacramento police officers. The crowd had blocked the arena, barring Kings fans from entering, effectively shutting it down. “I was at the bullhorn and I was talking my talk,” Johnson says of addressing the assembled...