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        <title><![CDATA[Rachel Lindsay on Matt James being ‘The Bachelor:’ ‘It feels like a knee-jerk reaction’]]></title>
        <atom:link href="https://usagag.com/2020/06/12/rachel-lindsay-on-matt-james-being-the-bachelor-it-feels-like-a-knee-jerk-reaction/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
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            <media:title type="html">Rachel Lindsay on Matt James being ‘The Bachelor:’ ‘It feels like a knee-jerk reaction’</media:title>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Rachel Lindsay was pleased to hear Matt James was <strong>chosen as the first black &#8220;Bachelor,&#8221;</strong> but hopes this will be the first of many decisions ABC makes toward a more diverse and inclusive franchise.</p><p>She told Page Six in a statement on Friday, &#8220;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. 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.&#8221;</p><p>Lindsay, 35, continued, &#8220;This announcement, without any further commitments regarding diversity, sweepingly brushes deeper issues under the rug . 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. I look forward to hearing more about the additional efforts the franchise plans to make towards change.&#8221;</p><p>The first and only black &#8220;Bachelorette&#8221; shared similar sentiments <a href="https://twitter.com/GMA/status/1271415497217753091">on&#8221;Good Morning America&#8221;</a> on Friday, saying, &#8220;I want producers of color. I would like for them to cast leads that are interested in dating outside of their race that aren&#8217;t just getting their first time experience for the first time on national TV. I need the acknowledgment of that.&#8221;</p><p>Lindsay said she doesn&#8217;t want the network&#8217;s landmark decision in picking a black male lead to be like &#8220;putting a Band-Aid over the situation and just saying, &#8216;Here, we&#8217;re going to put this here. Are you happy now?&#8217;&#8221;</p><p>The attorney has been of the franchise&#8217;s most vocal stars in discussions about the shows&#8217; lack of representation.</p><p>Last week, she <strong>exclusively told Page Six</strong>, &#8220;When I look at what’s happening in our country, and then I look at the franchise, I can’t continue to be affiliated — it’s embarrassing honestly at this point — to be affiliated with a franchise who is not on the right side of this.&#8221;</p><p>She also <strong>supported a recent online petition</strong> that called on ABC to cast a black &#8220;Bachelor&#8221; for the upcoming 25th season, which James is now leading.</p><p>After naming James, 28, as the next &#8220;Bachelor&#8221; on Friday, ABC said in a statement, &#8220;We know we have a responsibility to make sure the love stories we’re seeing onscreen are representative of the world we live in, and we are proudly in service to our audience.”</p><p>Mike Fleiss, the &#8220;Bachelor&#8221; franchise&#8217;s creator, <a href="https://twitter.com/fleissmeister/status/1271441093951803393">also told fans on Twitter</a>, &#8220;More to come&#8230; We can and will do better!&#8221;</p><p>James, <strong>a philanthropic former college athlete,</strong> told &#8220;GMA&#8221; that he welcomed the opportunity because he doesn&#8217;t think it&#8217;s &#8220;ever the wrong time to do the right thing.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;I think it&#8217;s a step in the right direction,&#8221; he added. &#8220;When Rachel speaks, we listen. She has a very important voice in all this, being the first black woman, person of color, to have a lead, so I think that we&#8217;re all following suit in that conversation, and this is hopefully the first of many black men to be in the position that I am in now.&#8221;</p>]]></content:encoded>
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