Last week, Rachel Lindsay called out The Bachelor franchise for its systemic racism and lack of diversity. And now, the former Bachelorette, 35, is sharing her thoughts on Matt James becoming the show’s first-ever Black male lead.
Earlier this week, Lindsay posted a series of messages on Twitter that confirm there’s still more work to be done. She began by congratulating James on his accomplishment, writing, “Congrats to Matt James. I am happy to see that a black man was cast after 18 years and 40 seasons. I believe it is a step in the right direction.”
While she appreciates ABC’s decision, Lindsay questioned why it took the Black Lives Matter movement to get to this point. “I would be remiss to not point out that based on the current climate, it feels like a knee-jerk reaction and a result of societal pressure,” she continued. “This announcement, without any further commitments regarding diversity, sweepingly brushes deeper issues under the rug.”
The former Bachelorette went on to explain how ABC can do better, adding, “Until we see action to address the systemic racism within the franchise, the casting news today is equivalent to the trend of posting a black box on your social media account without other steps taken to dismantle the systems of injustice.”
