The Bachelor names its first black male lead

After former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay pointed out last week that a black person is practically more likely to become president of the United States than be a lead of a Bachelor franchise, ABC's hit reality TV series moved to announce its first black Bachelor in its 40-season history. Matt James, a 28-year-old real estate broker who was originally cast for Clare Crawley's upcoming season, will look for love on the show's 25th season, expected to premiere in 2021.

In a statement, ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke said, "When filming [Clare's season] couldn't move forward as planned, we were given the benefit of time to get to know Matt and all agreed he would make a perfect Bachelor." James' season will air after Clare's, which is expected this fall.

Prior to James, Lindsay was Bachelor Nation's only black lead in its 18-year history, something she's described as being "embarrassing honestly at this point."

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"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," the statement from ABC said. "This is just the beginning, and we will continue to take action with regard to diversity issues on this franchise. We feel so privileged to have Matt as our first black Bachelor and we cannot wait to embark on this journey with him."