It’s safe to say that 2017 was the year that the Bachelor franchise finally decided to join the rest of the entertainment industry by at least trying to diversify its cast and enter the discourse about race in our culture. It didn’t rush into things and started with a baby step: for the first time ever on Nick Viall’s season, a Black woman received the coveted first impression rose . That same Black woman, Rachel Lindsay, made it to the final four, and her hometown date sparked the first wave of serious conversations about interracial dating among Bachelor Nation (and critics). After establishing herself as a fan-favorite for her level-headedness, Lindsay then became the franchise’s first Black lead on the most recent season of The Bachelorette, ushering in one of the most racially diverse contestant pools that the franchise has seen. The ongoing season of Bachelor in Paradise — which pulls contestants from previous seasons of Bachelor and Bachelorette — has reaped the benefits of this push with a total of five Black participants. What’s more is that finally, the franchise is providing viewers — albeit unintentionally, it seems — with an example of Black love.