Two Rachels, One Black Bachelor

We are all surrounded by media representations that center white people. When these narratives become tropes in storytelling, so much harm can be done to BIPOC, especially in the way that our attractions are formed. In this episode, Stephanie Quintana shares multitudes of herself and her experiences that span culture, race, and class to bring us this message: interrupting these narratives in the background is the only way we can truly interrupt them on the screen.

It took 25 whole seasons to deliver a Black Bachelor, history making indeed with an enormously diverse group of contestants to boot. There was loads to celebrate until… racism. Myisha + Nkechi are here to discuss it all: the colorism, the lack of screening for racist contestants, Rachel Kirkconnell in antebellum cosplay, and finally- Rachel Lindsay's frustrating conversation with host Chris Harrison. 

On this episode of Dating White, Nkechi + Myisha chat with Alexandra Ofori-Atta about trying to find connection through online dating in COVID, the challenges of being someone's first non-white partner and the allure of the sad white guy (something they all relate to). Listen to hear amazing anecdotes about the complexities of modern dating and what it means to perform wokeness!

In this episode Nkechi and Myisha examine what was said and unsaid when Oprah interviewed Meghan and Harry back in March. Was too much burden placed on Meghan to explain the racist events that led to her family leaving the Royals behind? And just how much sympathy should we even expect from a royal legacy of colonial imperialism? We. get. into. it.

As a Black woman of mixed race, Shaquille Heath has a lot of experience navigating microaggressions pointed at her Blackness (is she Black enough?) and her long term partnership with a white man. In this episode, Shaquille describes what it was like growing up in Utah and how working in tech and then the arts has brought her further and further into white spaces, despite living in a city as diverse as San Francisco. She also shares with us how she managed, in the wake of George Floyd's murder, the burden of being "[the] only black friend, maybe even [the] only black acquaintance," a role she was previously unaware of that reshaped how she sees allyship now.

Season 16, i.e., 1,000,000 of The Bachelorette was WILD. If you somehow missed this history making season of reality TV, Nkechi + Myisha are here to hold your hand and break it down for you from the Dating White perspective. We're talking about interracial dating and the way it's misrepresented, and underrepresented in media. And more importantly, how getting it wrong is keeping us from having discussions about race in our romantic relationships. 

Mycall Akeem Riley went to a predominantly white upper middle class high school. As a Black gay teen, his first crushes were on sad white boys. In this episode, Mycall reflects on his earliest attractions and the complicated experiences that led up to a no white BFs policy. 

Welcome to Season TWO of Dating White!  In this episode, your hosts Myisha + Nkechi check in with each other and discuss their own journeys in processing the last year. What does the "new normal" look like now in dating and partnership? What will it look like in the future? Also, we've invited a few guests to drop in for Season Two. We're so excited to share more perspectives, stories, and insight with our listeners.    

In this bonus episode of Dating White, Myisha + Nkechi offer up a mediation for feeling into and expanding love. Whether you're celebrating self or partnered love today, we hope you to have a beautiful day!

In the Season 1 Finale of Dating White, Myisha + Nkechi discuss what this season has meant for both of them, how the show has been a part of a cycle of change and how 2020 was actually the best time to start this podcast. They also share some ideas of what they'd like to address in future seasons. If you have a show idea or would like to be a guest, email them at [email protected].