In its 40 seasons and 18 years on air, there has never been a person of color lead on The Bachelor and ABC recently changed that when they announced Matt James as the newest Bachelor for the upcoming season. The announcement comes after the network was slammed by fans for its lack of diversity.

Former Bachelor contestant Rachel Lindsay has used her platform to vocalize her criticisms of the franchise.  Rachel Lindsay hosts the franchise’s podcast called Bachelor Happy Hour, and she has threatened to cut ties with the franchise if nothing was done to improve the lack of diversity.  Lindsay, along with other Bachelor and Bachelorette alums have also joined together in signing the petition titled “ A Campaign For Anti-Racism in the Bachelor Franchise.”

“I don’t think it’s ever the wrong time do the right thing,” James said on Good Morning America when discussing the franchise’s past. “Hopefully this is the first of many Black men to be in the position that I’m in now.”

Matt James isn’t a stranger to The Bachelor either. The 28-year-old entrepreneur, real estate broker and community organizer was originally set to be a contestant on the upcoming season of The Bachelorette before its production was shut down in March. He is also the best friend and business partner to Bachelor veteran Tyler Cameron.

“We are excited to move forward with both Matt James as the new Bachelor and Clare Crawley as our next Bachelorette,” The Bachelor’s executive producers said in a statement. “We acknowledge our responsibility for the lack of representation of people of color on our franchise and pledge to make significant changes to address this issue moving forward. We are taking positive steps to expand diversity in our cast, in our staff, and most importantly, in the relationships that we show on television. We can and will do better to reflect the world around us and show all of its beautiful love stories.”

Matt James is a North Carolina native and former NFL player. He currently lives in New York City where he and Tyler Cameron run an organization called “ABC Food Tours,” an organization that allows kids from undeserved communities explore the city through exercise, food, and mental and physical wellness.

The Bachelor is scheduled to return in 2021 and ABC says they are “privileged to have Matt” as the first black Bachelor.