For the first time in the 25 year history of ABC’s ‘The Bachelor’, the show has a Black lead. Matt James has been announced as the latest “Bachelor” for the long-running franchise.
But some in the Black community are criticizing the network’s choice of Matt because he’s known to have a strong preference for White women. When the announcement came out – there were many comments critical of Matt’s choice – particularly from Black women.
Today on Good Morning America, the network revealed that Matt James, 28, will be the series first Black-lead, following calls from fans and Bachelor Nation alum like former Bachelorette star Rachel Lindsay to be more inclusive when it comes to the cast and the lead of the series.
In fact, a petition circulated online calling for ABC executives and series producer Mike Fleiss to cast more people of color on the show — the petition garnered over 85,000 signatures as of June 12.
“I think it’s a step in the right direction,” Matt shared with GMA co-hosts. “Hopefully this is the first of many Black men to be in the position that I am now.”
Here are some of the comments on Twitter: