Fans might've fretted that the criticism was heavy enough to limit the show to a single season, but they don't need to worry anymore. On Friday, it was announced that Dear White People got a Season 2 renewal, representing a victory for its particular brand of social criticism. According to Deadline, a second season will go into production later this year, with another 10 episodes to be released on Netflix at a currently unspecified date. The show's first season premiered in April, but experienced more than its fair share of controversy.
Before Season 1 was even released, critics took to social media to express their discomfort with the series' themes. Off the basis of the trailer alone, a number of Twitter users complained, claiming that the show was "anti-white" and "reverse racist" and threatening a boycott by posting digital proof of their canceled Netflix accounts. Some of these tweets received thousands of likes, and as of this writing, the trailer has nearly 425,000 downvotes on YouTube. But to Netflix's credit, they never attempted to distance themselves from the show. Instead, the streaming service threw their support behind its creator, Justin Simien, according to an article he posted to Medium in February.
This renewal is even more proof that Netflix stands with Simien and his critically acclaimed show. They're reinvesting in the groundbreaking series as it takes on huge and sometimes divisive issues like social justice, microaggressions, police brutality, implicit bias, and much more. It's exactly the type of exploration that our society needs right now, so the renewal couldn't have come at a better time.
Plus, the fact that its content might be unfamiliar to some white people and potentially uncomfortable for them to absorb is exactly why it's so important. These are the stories that need to be told and the voices that need to be amplified to keep everyone moving forward and get people on the same page.
In short, the people accusing Dear White People of bigotry are likely the people who need to see it most. So the fact that they'll be given another opportunity with a second season is something to celebrate, whether you're a fan or a critic.
