Is ‘Bachelor’s’ Second Black Lead Grant Ellis ‘The One’ [Op-Ed]?

ABC’s hit actuality courting present The Bachelor returns to primetime with a charming new season. The anticipated season 29 premiered on Jan. 27 with 2.7 million viewers, in line with TV Line. This time round, the eligible bachelor is Grant Ellis, a 31-year-old day dealer and former basketball participant.

Ellis is the second Black lead within the present’s franchise, after the controversial Bachelor Matt James. “Bachelor Nation” was first launched to Ellis final summer season as a suitor on Jenn Tran’s season of The Bachelorette. Tran can be the primary Asian American lead within the present’s historical past.

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Jenn Tran starred in The Bachelorette season 21. She was the primary Asian American lead within the present’s historical past. Supply: Jaiden Tripi / Getty

The Bachelor’s Points With Race And Variety

The Bachelor franchise has been criticized for its lack of variety because the present’s inception in 2002. The vast majority of the leads and contestants have been white season after season. Even Juan Pablo, who was chosen as the primary non-Caucasion Bachelor in 2014, is significantly white-passing. The franchise has solely had six Black leads between The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, casting the first-ever Black lead Rachel Lindsay in 2017.

In 2021, criticism and scrutiny adopted the primary Black Bachelor, Matt James, who confronted blatant racism on-line throughout his season. James is biracial—his mom is white and his father, who was partially absent throughout his childhood, is Black. Though James identifies as Black, he nonetheless selected Rachel Kirkconnell, a half-white half-Honduran contestant, after photographs of her attending an antebellum-themed occasion surfaced on social media.

The Bachelor’s longtime host and former face of the franchise, Chris Harrison, got here to Kirkconnell’s protection amid the outrage. After receiving public backlash, Harrison departed from the collection that yr. James and Kirkconnell additionally referred to as it quits final month after 4 years of courting.

Supply: Jeff Kravitz / Getty

Does The Bachelor  Work For Black Folks?

In 2023, The Bachelor’s very personal Charity Lawson and Dotun Olubeko made historical past as the primary monoracial Black couple to get engaged on the present. The 2 are nonetheless fortunately collectively at present. The query is, who will obtain the ultimate rose on The Bachelor this season? Might a lady of shade, particularly a Black lady lastly be chosen? Whereas love spans past race, it’s actually a consider courting. Therefore, why some Black Bachelor followers and first-time watchers alike, understand that the present “doesn’t actually work for Black folks.”

Again in 2021, Lindsay shared her eye-opening expertise from her season. “I additionally realized as I used to be going by means of my season that a number of of the Black males on my season didn’t date Black ladies,” she revealed on Ziwe’s former Showtime selection present. “That’s why I’ve been talking out [about the franchise] that you just don’t want to only diversify your solid and your leads, it’s good to diversify the folks behind the digicam.”

Viewers can solely hope that Black leads and contestants are given a good shot at love on The Bachelor presently and within the seasons to come back.

Rachel Lindsay pictured with now-ex-husband Bryan Abasolo. Supply: Lisa Lake / Getty

Grant Ellis Is Actually The First Black Bachelor

Season 29 kicked off with 25 lovely bachelorettes of their mid-20s to early 30s. To not point out, the contestants’ occupations vary from a enterprise capitalist to a nightclub server. “Assembly the women, they have been superb,” Ellis advised Parade Journal. “All of them introduced one thing totally different to the desk, and the expertise was one thing that was as soon as in a lifetime. I believe, all through the season, you’ll see how particular and distinctive every one in every of them is.”

The ethnically numerous group of girls is refreshing to witness in comparison with previous seasons. Usually, when folks of shade seem on courting reveals, there’s a lack of illustration or they’re eradicated early on within the season. Gone are the times when there may be one “racially ambiguous love curiosity” or “the proper Black lady” as tokens.

Supply: Disney

The casting crew and producers clearly made a acutely aware effort to create a extra inclusive atmosphere—particularly after lastly addressing the historical past of racism surrounding the present. “We didn’t have a Black lead on this franchise for 15 years, and that’s inexcusable,” government producer Bennett Graebner defined to the L.A. Occasions in an intensive interview final yr. “…It’s taken a number of work to get again to a spot the place we really feel at the least we’re working for the constructive.”

Leisure and popular culture outlet Decider describes the newest Bachelor as charming, good-looking, and healthful– somebody who’s “in contact along with his feelings and isn’t afraid to be susceptible.” Ellis is seemingly a stand-up man who needs marriage and a household. His seek for love is reasonably optimistic.

Nonetheless, followers are “rooting for Black love” within the Instagram remark part. Conversely, James apparently felt pressured to choose a Black lady throughout season 25. The frontrunner for Ellis’ season may very well be any lady, no matter race. However the distinction is just an open thoughts with a real coronary heart.

The Bachelor airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

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