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Lamar Tyler, founder of BlackAndMarriedWithKids.com, speaks on the impact the Obamas are having on the image of the Black family.

Over the past year a funny thing happened—the Obama family made it cool to be married again. Not only have the Obamas made it cool to be married but it's ok to be Black and married on top of that.

I think the love that's shown between Barack and Michelle is enough to bring marriage back in style like light-skinned brothers in the eighties. They'll make it cool to have kids and take care of them. Cool for some of our sisters to be attracted to men that aren't thugs. Cool to stand behind your partner and support him or her as they do their thing. Cool for a man to hold it down for his family and if someone talks mess about his wife or their kids he puts them in check. Call me optimistic but I think the image of this family in the White House will provide these things for our community.

So far they have provided the blueprint of what family life is supposed to look like. The Obamas have given us something to aspire towards and they have achieved this without Barack having to effectively use his jump shot or without Michelle doing the Stanky Leg.

For the past 20 years the only images that some people could conjure up of a successful Black family were the fictitious Huxtables. But the Huxtable family was still regarded as not being realistic in some circles. With their historic trip to the Presidency, Barack and Michelle Obama have directly challenged longstanding depictions that have been held outside and inside of the Black community. They've proven what some people failed to realize. Successful Black families do exist and like Public Enemy said, "Don't believe the hype"! The Obamas have been able to put an image of what a successful Black family looks like into the minds of millions if not billions of people across the globe and for that we thank them.

After so many years of not having positive images of Black families on the covers of magazines and newspapers a door has now been opened and we must refuse to let it close. The magazines that carry pictures of Barack and Michelle, may soon lead to more pictures of Will and Jada, and one day maybe even Lamar and Ronnie. Keep your fingers crossed.

Lamar Tyler and wife Ronnie founded BlackAndMarriedWithKids.com to offer support to other happily married Black couples and combat stereotypes of the Black family.