Civic Union Vows

MARRY DURHAM/wedding ceremony
Today, we merge our memories. We gather to collect our thoughts related to the city we all love so much. Our collective memories serve as the backdrop for a day made possible due to our appreciation for what it means for us to be joined by our former days.

The mixture of hues and ideologies is what makes this day a celebration of oneness.  It is our willingness to build beyond our distinction that makes our home a place like no other. We gather to show our love for the myriad of places we all have come to love. We cherish our assortment of places for fine dining- some with seats and others with serving stations on wheels.

We honor the places that educate us: our schools and universities, our museums and libraries and the vast nonprofits dedicated to building hope and teaching a better way. We mark the memories of those who helped build the Black Wall Street.  We remember the lives of those who treaded the rivers of our hallowed union. We stand today a community made better by our difference. We have fought the lure of sacrificing the range of our difference for a façade of inclusion.

The strength of our bond is the clash of colors and perspectives on the canvas called Durham. We are more than communities divided by districts, streets, subdivisions and roadblocks. We are married by our thoughts. We are married by a love made deeper by the strength of the others in our community. We are more than the labels others create to separate and define. We are married to the truth of universal claims. We are more powerful because of every you in our city.

Today, we marry our city. In doing so we affirm our love for each other. Today, we marry each other. Beyond race. Beyond gender. Beyond class. Beyond sexual orientation. Beyond religion and all other declarations. For better and for worse. In times of economic strength and recession. We love you Durham and we love each person gathered to bear witness to our absolute love for all that makes our happy home.
Now, as we hold hands in solidarity, we build a human bond of love stronger than all words and actions of contradiction. We claim the command of our communal witness.

I commit to cherish diversity by celebrating the contributions made by so many in Durham. I promise to keep our streets clean and to do all I can to make them safe.  I vow to show love for Durham by shopping locally and by protecting our natural resources. I promise to learn more about and to support Durham’s nonprofits. I will support our local artist by purchasing their work and sharing with others the creative geniuses in Durham. I vow to participate in local government by electing local leaders and holding them accountable to the meaning of our union. I promise to promote the strengths of the city I love rather than to demean and destroy the reputation when I disagree with the actions of others I vow to love. In good weather and during snow storms; during good days and heated elections-I give myself to you Durham…until death do us part. And, if I relocate to another city, I will spread the word wherever I go-there is no place like Durham.

As we take time to gaze at the city we love so much we proclaim that love.  We begin by sharing our love with each other.  We pause now to share our love by finding a person..a person you have never met..and sharing your love for the city and the people who make this your happy home.
(People share with each other for 30 seconds).

And, now, by the power invested in my by the city I love so much..I now pronounce you citizen and city. Let no news article, blog posting or outburst of another destroy what you have for one another.
You may express your love by shouting from the top of your voice..WE LOVE YOU DURHAM

Preacha Man: Carl Keeney
Please Note:  Improv most likely did happen

Word From the Amazing Positive Infused Crystal

I'm sure you have heard a bit about the event called Marry Durham. It's this Saturday from 4-7 PM, and our little team of hardworking volunteers is doing its final push on promoting the event this week. I wonder if you would be willing to give us a shout-out on your blog and/or help spread the word some other way (Twitter, Facebook) via your various networks...?
Most of all, we just hope you'll come out and join us!

As you know, this is a diverse, inclusive, homegrown and lighthearted event intended to celebrate the love between the Bull City and its people! We'll be vowing to one another and to our community to help make Durham even more awesome than it already is! The Durham News Service just posted one of my favorite articles so far about the event.

Of particular interest to you might be that this is a family-friendly event with a participatory parade and reception following the wedding. Children's entertainment lineup features the Takiri Academy Kids Hispanic Folkloric Dance group and the Bull City Sliders. An enormous "Kid Zone" is led by Sew Crafty, the Walltown Children's Theatre, and The Scrap Exchange where children can learn how to hip hop dance, create whimsical art, and much more! Wool E. Bull (our "Best Bull") will be there in his full tuxedo, and families can get their photos taken with him.

The reception block party stretches from Corporation to Geer St. on Rigsbee Avenue, and this area will be closed for foot traffic only. (Check out the Marry Durham Event Map & Schedule, as well as the Marry Durham Parking Map.)

We also have nine confirmed official Marry Durham food vendors:
Bulkogi BBQ
DaisyCakes
Farmhand Foods
Klausie's Pizza
Ko Kyu BBQ
Locopops
Slippin Sliders
El Buen Sabor Taqueria Y Pupuseria
A guy named Pop who is grilling family-style out back at Lloyd's Lounge
We have an amazing line-up of local Durham performers on four different stages, including The Beast and Grammy award-winning Justin Robinson and his band the Mary Annettes! (Check out the Marry Durham Event Map & Schedule for full schedule.)

Furthermore, Daisycakes is preparing 500 special Marry Durham mini-cupcakes to help make "wedding cake" more accessible to the masses, and FullSteam Brewery has made its own Marry Durham souvenir pint glasses which it will be selling to help raise money for the five Durham non-profit organizations that will benefit from all the Marry Durham proceeds!

It's going to be a great day, and I hope you will come out and celebrate with us. Thanks in advance for any love you can give us on your blog, Twitter feed, Facebook, etc.

Kind regards,
Crystal
--
Crystal Dreisbach,
Secretary of Marry Durham
Durham, NC
Cell: (919) 260-9454Website: http://www.marrydurham.com/

A Note From Katherine

The support Marry Durham is receiving from the community is amazing and humbling.  The generous support demonstrates the value Durham places on a good idea.  Like any entrepreneurial venture at some point  the idea or product has to be validated by the market -in the case of Marry Durham- the cornerstones of our community.  We invite people to give in a way that is meaningful to them and Durham is responding accordingly.  The giving comes in many forms, kind words, encouragement, volunteer hours, talent, financial support and in-kind gifts...

When we started this project we did not know what type of support we would receive.  We were willing to assume some risk and each of us thought about what the risks would be.  We had no money other than what a few of us were able to put into it.  We believed in the idea enough to risk failure or put differently to rethink success.  We lived here long enough to know the community would allow us to learn from failure.

The largest asset was our pooled social capital.  We used social capital and creativity as our greatest resources and moved forward.

The non-profits who did not know us were willing to put their trust in us.  We honor their trust.  The entire community is placing their trust in us.  We honor your trust.  We are building new relationships.  We are meeting talented and generous people.

The results have been a great illustration of the power of relationships.  The project also is a testament to the strength and potential of our community.

We look forward to connecting on our wedding day.

With an open heart,
Katherine O'Brien--writing without the approval of the Marry Durham Team

Celebrate Your Engagement--March 9th

REV-elution: Durham: The City that Moves Like Jazz

REV-elution: Durham: The City that Moves Like Jazz

Marry Durham Proposal

I’d like to tell you about very special wedding. You may be wondering what Marry Durham is all about. Well, it all came to be when some adoring Durham citizens were eating Only Burgers at one of Durham’s amazing food truck rallies last spring. One of them said, “You know, sometimes I love Durham so much, I wish I could marry it!”.
Well, they loved this idea, and they knew others would too, so they decided to make an event out of it so that everyone who loved Durham as much as they did could actually get married to the city on Saturday, March 19. All are invited! The ceremony starts at 4 PM, and the location is Rigsbee St. from Corporation to Geer.
The wedding vows – which include commitments to protecting natural resources, supporting the arts, shopping locally, cherishing diversity and electing responsible leaders– will help get Durham citizens even more engaged in the Bull City community.
We hope each of you will go to MarryDurham.com to sign up to marry the city or come as a guest. You will find a wedding package for everyone - from a shotgun wedding to Beyonce’s put-a-ring-on-it wedding! Signing up will help Marry Durham meet our $12,000 fundraising goal. All proceeds from the event make up the “wedding dowry”, which will be given to five wonderful Durham non-profit organizations!
After the wedding, join us in a parade and reception block party. The performance lineup includes Grammy-award winning Justin Robinson with the Mary Annettes, and many other amazing local artists. The website again is marrydurham.com.
As presented by Crystal Dreisbach

Love Poem and Proposal to the People of Durham

Shall I compare thee to one of my summer’s days?
Thou art hotter but less humid:
Rough winds do come with hurricane season.
And my winters bring many school closings:
Sometime too high the balls of the Bulls fly,
And often are the green trees giving shade,
And every farmer comes to the market.
In Spring, you stroll my historic district:
But my Bimbe and ArtWalk shall not fade,
Nor my parks and gardens that you so love.
Nor shall film and music festivals pass,
When in eternal lines you seem to wait.
So long as my Durhamites can see my beauty
So long lives this, our love for each other.

Let us be wed and be as one March 19.
Durham

Ref: Independent Weekly 2.9.11 p26

Governor Bev Perdue Sends Her Regrets

The Govenor wants Durham to have a good time without her.

Ms. O’Brien,

Thank you for inviting Governor Perdue to the Marry Durham event on March 19, 2011. Unfortunately, Governor Perdue will be unable to attend and asked that I send her regrets.

Thank you for extending the opportunity to Governor Perdue and best wishes for a successful event.

Lisa Nelms
Assistant Scheduler for Governor Bev Perdue
State Capitol
1 East Edenton Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
919-715-2306

Mailing Address:
20301 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-0301