Dr. Misse Harris wants to be the first black "Bachelorette." Is America Ready?

Dr. Misse Harris, a 28 year old dentist from Tennessee (who is currently completing a residency in pediatric dentistry), wants to be the first black "Bachelorette." But is the American public ready for a black "Bachelorette?"

It's kind of a funny question, but when you think about it, it's a really good one. A better question might be: after 8 seasons of the show, why hasn't there been a culturally diverse "Bachelorette" already?" As a matter of fact all of the 8 "Bachelorettes" thus far have been white. A lot of people might not think that's a huge deal but speaking in terms of demographics, the image being portrayed on the "Bachelorette", which is watched by millions of viewers, does not accurately depict the multicultural and beautifully diverse fabric of America.

Well, Dr. Misse Harris intends to do something about this predicament. She has even started a social media campaign to garner support from the public.

Check out her credentials:

"Additionally, Misee Harris is filled with a desire to give back to under-served communities. She does just that by engaging in medical mission trips to the Appalachian mountains to provide children with dental care, mentoring young women in her community and working with autism-related charities. "

She sounds very impressive, just like the previous "Bachelorettes" who were also very accomplished women in their own right. By putting a successful black woman on a highly publicized dating show as the main love interest, (not just a token black contestant or comic relief) the producers of the "Bachelorette" would be portraying a black woman as desirable and worthy of the attention of about 30 successful men from different ethnic backgrounds. A show doesn't have to tell us that, we all already know that ;-). But the problem lies in the fact that there are a great deal of women and young girls who do not see positive, strong, successful images of themselves being depicted on TV. That is why this is important.

Interestingly, according to theGrio.com, 10% of all black married women in America are in interracial marriages. So the idea of a diverse group of men competing for the heart of Dr. Harris should not really be that far from reality TV, in fact it's becoming more of a reality everyday.

When asked by Entertainment Weekly why there is a lack of diversity on the show, The Bachelor/ette creator Mike Fleiss said:

"I think [Season 7 bachelorette] Ashley is 1/16th Cherokee Indian, but I cannot confirm. But that is my suspicion! We really tried, but sometimes we feel guilty of tokenism. Oh, we have to wedge African-American chicks in there! We always want to cast for ethnic diversity, it's just that for whatever reason, they don't come forward. I wish they would."

Really? Wow. Seeing as how the show was just sued for racial discrimination we doubt there is a paucity of people from other races who are interested in being the main interest on the show.

Here are Misse Harris' reasons for wanting to be on the show:

"I realized that being the bachelorette would give me a better opportunity to find love and a stronger platform for all of my creative dreams and charity work," Harris told [the Grio] in a phone interview. "It also would allow me to inspire other black women and girls to dream big and know their worth."

Sounds like a good reason to us. What do you think?

Check out her campaign here: https://www.facebook.com/MiseeHarris4TheBlackBachelorette