Charity Lawson, 27 and a child and family therapist from Columbus, Georgia, found fame earlier in 2023 on Zach Shallcross' season of The Bachelor, where she finished in fourth place. Her vulnerability and kindness set her apart from the others, and she was asked to become the franchise's fourth-ever black Bachelorette for the 20th season which will premiere on ABC on Monday, June 26. In this exclusive with HELLO! — just in time for Juneteenth - she shares why she chose to put herself out there for the world, and the importance of bringing Black joy to network TV.
My life a year ago did not look like this at all. I'm just a small town girl – but now everything is totally different. I knew that becoming the Bachelorette was an opportunity for me, an acknowledgement that I could bring something to this franchise that would allow a black woman's love story, experiences, emotions, and vulnerability to be showcased.
Within the franchise, there have been things that could definitely have been handled differently, or have been improved upon, when it comes to the representation of minorities, people of color, and also inclusivity with body shapes and sizes. Something that will be shown this season were the difficult conversations I had with a lot of these men. I'm someone that really advocated for being able to openly talk with the guys in a way that, hopefully, will air and allow America to connect, and resonate, with. It was so refreshing because it was also something I had to take leadership on, and I was hesitant at first but having full autonomy in leading these conversations was so nice – and it was nice to know that the guys also weren't shying away from that.
There will be a lot of conversations surrounding race and identity and how we're showing up in the spaces. "What was your upbringing like? How did that transform you to where we're at now? How did it play a role in this relationship?"
There are so many different topics that we will cover this season, and it makes me really excited, because I think people will love to hear these conversations.
My family is the absolute best, and America saw a little bit of them last season, but I am really super close with my brother Nehemiah; he is my best friend. We talk about any and everything, and he's so supportive. Most important is that we're just a humble family which has been so grounding for me; we don't really let any of this get to our heads. My mom, Vickie Lawson, is someone who serves as a good and just reminder for me to never forget where I came from.
When I was selected as Bachelorette, it was a huge moment, but my mom has just continued to do what she always has always done her whole life, which is just encourage me, empower me, uplift me, and pray for me; every morning she will give me words of encouragement.
I'm showcasing an incredible journey of finding love to the world, and so that comes with a lot of different feelings. You can have an idea of what to expect, but truly there's no way to prepare, and that was a little tricky for me, trying to figure out how to best approach all of these relationships because they all require different things. It made me have to open up myself a lot more and reveal a different side of my personality that hadn't been seen before, that I hadn't really had the opportunity to share.
I've received positivity, but also a lot of negativity, in regards to how vulnerable I can be, or how hard I outwardly wear my emotions, but I hope people begin to understand that there's so much beauty in being expressive, open and honest about how we're feeling.
My hope for my season is other women of color hearing and connecting with me and my story. I want people to understand that no matter how you're feeling – even if you feel safe – to never shy away from that.
Michelle Young (the 18th Bachelorette) is someone that I spent time talking with prior to filming and she really gave me a lot of encouragement about how to navigate this, reminding me that there's no right way to go about this and to always show up as myself. But I think she also wanted to reassure me that there will be support from her as I watch this back because life is going to change.
Taylor Hill from Big Brother also reached out to me as well, and has really offered her support. It's been so nice having these black women in these spaces to lean on to and also be able to reference back to, if I should come upon anything that may seem overwhelming.
Black joy is truly just the way that, as African Americans, we respond to the experiences of life. It's choosing to celebrate the life I chose. I always want to put myself in spaces where I can authentically be myself and not hold back; I don't ever want my culture to be a hindrance. I want it to be celebrated, and honored, and for me to contribute to everything possible.
The Bachelorette will air on ABC on June 26 at 9/8c.