ABC’s hit reality dating show The Bachelor returns to primetime with a captivating new season. The anticipated season 29 premiered on Jan. 27 with 2.7 million viewers, according to TV Line. This time around, the eligible bachelor is Grant Ellis, a 31-year-old day trader and former basketball player.

Ellis is the second Black lead in the show’s franchise, after the controversial Bachelor Matt James. “Bachelor Nation” was first introduced to Ellis last summer as a suitor on Jenn Tran’s season of The Bachelorette. Tran is also the first Asian American lead in the show’s history.

RELATED CONTENT: ‘Bachelor’ Lead Grant Ellis Breaks Silence On ‘Controversy’ Surrounding Matt James’ Final Pick Ahead Of Season Debut

Jenn Tran starred in The Bachelorette season 21. She was the first Asian American lead in the show’s history. Source: Jaiden Tripi / Getty

The Bachelor’s Issues With Race And Diversity

The Bachelor franchise has been criticized for its lack of diversity since the show’s inception in 2002. The majority of the leads and contestants have been white season after season. Even Juan Pablo, who was selected as the first non-Caucasion Bachelor in 2014, is considerably white-passing. The franchise has only 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 followed the first Black Bachelor, Matt James, who faced blatant racism online during his season. James is biracial—his mother is white and his father, who was partially absent during his childhood, is Black. Although James identifies as Black, he still chose Rachel Kirkconnell, a half-white half-Honduran contestant, after photos of her attending an antebellum-themed party surfaced on social media.

The Bachelor’s longtime host and former face of the franchise, Chris Harrison, came to Kirkconnell’s defense amid the outrage. After receiving public backlash, Harrison departed from the series that year. James and Kirkconnell also called it quits last month after four years of dating.

Source: Jeff Kravitz / Getty

Does The Bachelor  Work For Black People?

In 2023, The Bachelor’s very own Charity Lawson and Dotun Olubeko made history as the first monoracial Black couple to get engaged on the show. The two are still happily together today. The question is, who will receive the final rose on The Bachelor this season? Could a woman of color, specifically a Black woman finally be chosen? While love spans beyond race, it’s certainly a factor in dating. Hence, why some Black Bachelor fans and first-time watchers alike, perceive that the show “doesn’t really work for Black people.”

Back in 2021, Lindsay shared her eye-opening experience from her season. “I also learned as I was going through my season that several of the Black men on my season didn’t date Black women,” she revealed on Ziwe’s former Showtime variety show. “That’s why I’ve been speaking out [about the franchise] that you don’t need to just diversify your cast and your leads, you need to diversify the people behind the camera.”

Viewers can only hope that Black leads and contestants are given a fair shot at love on The Bachelor presently and in the seasons to come.

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

Grant Ellis Is Really The First Black Bachelor

Season 29 kicked off with 25 beautiful bachelorettes in their mid-20s to early 30s. Not to mention, the contestants’ occupations range from a venture capitalist to a nightclub server. “Meeting the ladies, they were amazing,” Ellis told Parade Magazine. “They all brought something different to the table, and the experience was something that was once in a lifetime. I think, throughout the season, you’ll see how special and unique each one of them is.”

The ethnically diverse group of women is refreshing to witness compared to past seasons. Typically, when people of color appear on dating shows, there is a lack of representation or they are eliminated early on in the season. Gone are the days when there is one “racially ambiguous love interest” or “the perfect Black girl” as tokens.

Source: Disney

The casting crew and producers clearly made a conscious effort to create a more inclusive environment—especially after finally addressing the history of racism surrounding the show. “We didn’t have a Black lead in this franchise for 15 years, and that’s inexcusable,” executive producer Bennett Graebner explained to the L.A. Times in an extensive interview last year. “…It’s taken a lot of work to get back to a place where we feel at least we’re working for the positive.”

Entertainment and pop culture outlet Decider describes the latest Bachelor as charming, handsome, and wholesome– someone who’s “in touch with his emotions and isn’t afraid to be vulnerable.” Ellis is seemingly a stand-up guy who desires marriage and a family. His search for love is rather optimistic.

Nonetheless, fans are “rooting for Black love” in the Instagram comment section. Conversely, James apparently felt pressured to pick a Black woman during season 25. The frontrunner for Ellis’ season could be any woman, regardless of race. But the contrast is simply an open mind with a genuine heart.

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

RELATED CONTENT: Rachel Lindsay Discusses Being Labeled An ‘Angry Black Woman’ In ‘The Bachelor’ Franchise

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