In February, we told you that the newest “Bachelorette,” make that “Black Bachelorette,” had been picked earlier than usual. She is 31-year-old Rachel Lindsay, a civil defense litigation attorney from Texas. Lindsay was just eliminated on last night’s episode of The Bachelor to move on to bigger and better things.
“To be the first African-American woman is a beautiful thing,” Lindsay said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter about what’s next for her. “I’m honored and humbled to be the one chosen. Because that’s how I feel: like I was chosen to be in this role.”
When speaking to PEOPLE last month about her excitement, Lindsay said that she was happy to “represent myself as a Black woman in front of America.” As a Black woman going on a dating show to find love, Lindsay told The Hollywood Reporter that she’s received a lot of questions from fellow Black people who wonder if she will pick a Black man (which was debated in our comment section when we announced Lindsay as the next “Bachelorette”).
“That is a very common question that I get from black people,” she said. “Honestly, I don’t want to go into this process with any preconceived notions or any pressures to do something for somebody else. I hate to sound selfish, but it’s my process.”
She added, “It’s my journey in finding love. And whether that person is black, white, red, whatever — it’s my journey. I’m not choosing a man for America, I’m choosing a man for me.”
With that being said, she does, however, hope that the men cast to fight for her affections will actually be diverse.
“I’m hoping that as a black Bachelorette you’re going to get to see a more diverse cast, a cast that’s reflective of what America looks like,” she said. “And not just Bachelor Nation or whatever else, but what America looks like.”
Lindsay’s season hasn’t even started filming as of yet, but so far, she said she’s received a lot of support, which outweighs any negativity that may come her way once the series airs.
“I know there are going to be people who criticize what I do no matter what, but I’m just trying to not get caught up in it,” Lindsay said. “I feel like it was meant to be and that outweighs any fear or pressure that I have in being the first African-American Bachelorette.”
Considering that most people who haven’t already been watching these shows probably won’t tune in anyway, does it really matter who she ends up picking?
Image via ABC
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