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The only Black lead in the history of The Bachelor franchise is demanding the show fix its diversity problem, or she’ll leave. Rachel Lindsay, who starred on The Bachelorette in Season 13 of the show, posted a lengthy message on her blog today about The Bachelor‘s lack of representation, calling on the show to do better and diversify its casting, TVLine reports.
Lindsay used her post to recount all of the times she had called for change in the franchise, and laid out a new list of requests for ABC to make the show more diverse. Among them, she asked the franchise to “make a statement acknowledging their systemic racism,” cast leads truly willing to date outside of their race, and diversify producers on the show.
“I ultimately decided to be the Bachelorette because I knew this opportunity was bigger than me,” she wrote. “I knew that I wanted to present myself to an audience that had not seen a lead of color in this role. I knew that I wanted to be a trailblazer in this franchise to diversify the lead role, to diversify the contestants trying out and casted for the show, and to diversify the audience watching this show.”
Although Lindsay acknowledged that the show has recently included more diverse cast members, she objected to how people of color are treated in the franchise. “The sad reality is that people of color become placeholders as the token person of color to add some flavor to the second half of the season,” she wrote.
Because of her repeated attempts to encourage diversity, Lindsay is calling for change now, or she’ll leave the franchise, she said. “You never want to bite the hand that feeds you, but you also do not want to be aiding and abetting problematic behavior,” Lindsay wrote. “I am affiliated with this franchise and to be silent on some matters is to still be complicit with these cycles of detrimental conduct.”
“This is the reason that I have come to the conclusion that if changes are not made on the inside and outside of the franchise, I will dissociate myself from it,” she continued. “I am tired of asking for change and my requests have been ineffective. These changes have to extend beyond casting a lead of color. The whole franchise needs a diversity makeover.”
Decider has reached out to ABC for comment.
