Dear White People Information

Dear White People is an American satirical comedy-drama television series on Netflix that follows several black college students at an Ivy League institution, touching on issues surrounding modern American race relations. It is based on the 2014 film of the same name. The film's writer and director, Justin Simien, returned to write and direct episodes of the series. Each episode focuses on a particular character, except for the finale. Netflix ordered ten 30-minute episodes and the first season was released on April 28, 2017. On June 30, 2017, Netflix renewed the series for a second season which premiered on May 4, 2018. On June 21, 2018 the series was renewed for a third season.

Cast and characters

Main characters

• Logan Browning as Samantha White
• Brandon P. Bell as Troy Fairbanks. Bell reprises his role from the film.
• DeRon Horton as Lionel Higgins
• Antoinette Robertson as Colandrea "Coco" Conners
• John Patrick Amedori as Gabe Mitchell
• Marque Richardson as Reggie Green. Richardson reprises his role from the film.
• Ashley Blaine Featherson as Joelle Brooks. Featherson reprises her role from the film (the character is credited as "Curls" in the film).
• Giancarlo Esposito as the narrator

Recurring characters

• Obba Babatund as Dean Fairbanks
• Ally Maki as Ikumi
• Caitlin Carver as Muffy Tuttle
• Wyatt Nash as Kurt Fletcher
• John Rubinstein as President Fletcher, Kurt's father
• Brant Daugherty as Thane Lockwood
• Nia Long as Neika Hobbs
• Nia Jervier as Kelsey Phillips. Jervier reprises her role from the film (the character is credited as "Coco's Friend" in the film).
• DJ Blickenstaff as Silvio
• Courtney Sauls as Brooke. Sauls reprises her role from the film (the character is credited as "Wild" in the film).
• Jeremy Tardy as Rashid Bakr
• Jemar Michael as Al. Michael reprises his role from the film (the character is credited as "Smoothe" in the film).
• Francia Raisa as Vanessa
• Alex Alcheh as Milo
• Lena Waithe as P. Ninny. Waithe was a producer for the film.
• Tessa Thompson (two episodes) as Rikki Carter. Thompson stars as Samantha White in the film.
• Tyler James Williams (two episodes) as Carson Rhodes. Williams stars as Lionel Higgins in the film.
• Brandon Alter (one episode) as George. Alter reprises his role from the film.
• Wendy Raquel Robinson (one episode) as Tina White.

Episodes

Volume 1 (2017)

|Aux2 = Samantha
| ShortSummary = As Winchester College radio host, Samantha "Sam" White, leads the outcry over a blackface party on campus, a revelation about her love life puts her in an awkward spot.
| LineColor = #EFCC52

}}

|Aux2 = Lionel | ShortSummary = Buoyed by his front-page story on the party, shy reporter of The Winchester Independent, Lionel begins to come out of his shell and embrace his true identity. | LineColor = #EFCC52 }}

|Aux2 = Troy | ShortSummary = Golden boy, Troy, schmoozes his way around campus at his dad's behest, campaigning for student body president. But his smile hides nagging doubts. | LineColor = #EFCC52 }}

|Aux2 = Coco | ShortSummary = As Coco gears up for an exclusive soiree, a fight with Sam stirs up memories of their friendship -- and the differences that drove them apart. | LineColor = #EFCC52 }}

|Aux2 = Reggie | ShortSummary = Friends drag Reggie out on the town to stop him from brooding over the revolution and Sam's new beau. But the night takes a harrowing turn. | LineColor = #EFCC52 }}

|Aux2 = Samantha | ShortSummary = Shell-shocked, Sam and company plan a protest against the campus police, while Reggie finds his own way to process the ordeal. | LineColor = #EFCC52 }}

|Aux2 = Gabe | ShortSummary = Picking up on the chemistry between Sam and Reggie, Gabe obsesses over the state of his relationship -- and makes a startling confession to Joelle. | LineColor = #EFCC52 }}

|Aux2 = Lionel | ShortSummary = To show just how pervasive Winchester's race problems are, Lionel sets out to write a feature on Troy and makes some unexpected discoveries. | LineColor = #EFCC52 }}

|Aux2 = Coco | ShortSummary = Coco jumps at the chance to join Troy at a party for wealthy donors, but the evening leaves her questioning his priorities. | LineColor = #EFCC52 }}

|Aux2 = none | ShortSummary = With tensions running high before the town hall, Sam tries to patch up her relationship, Coco steals Troy's thunder, and Lionel makes a bold move. | LineColor = #EFCC52 }} }}

Volume 2 (2018)

|Aux2 = Samantha
| ShortSummary = In the wake of the town hall protest, Sam finds herself at the center of an alt-right backlash and goes to war with a social media troll.
| LineColor = #E4785D

}}

|Aux2 = Reggie
| ShortSummary = Reggie suffers flashbacks from being held at gunpoint by campus police (who assumed he "didn't belong" at university until a white student intervened to "vouch" for him). Support comes from an unexpected figure.
| LineColor = #E4785D

}}

|Aux2 = Lionel
| ShortSummary = Lionel party-hops with Silvio and discovers a new friend, Wesley.
| LineColor = #E4785D

}}

|Aux2 = Coco
| ShortSummary = CoCo makes a life-changing decision, with the support of an unexpected friend.
| LineColor = #E4785D

}}

|Aux2 = Joelle
| ShortSummary = Joelle meets her competitor for top-grade in anatomy and they're not at all what she expected.
| LineColor = #E4785D

}}

|Aux2 = Lionel
| ShortSummary = Lionel must juggle his personal life and faux-professional obligations while helping Brooke hunt down the mysterious alt-right internet troll. All they find is the shocking fate of Sorbet, Kelsey's stolen medically prescribed comfort dog, but the evening holds a few more surprises for Lionel.
| LineColor = #E4785D

}}

|Aux2 = Troy
| ShortSummary = Troy finds his voice, comedic and otherwise, by partially confronting the pain he's caused others -- Reggie, Sam and Coco. 
| LineColor = #E4785D

}}

|Aux2 = Gabe
| ShortSummary = Gabe interviews Sam for his documentary film, "Am I racist?" Feelings simmer as the former lovers engage in personal and heated discussion about the fine line between using white privilege to dismantle white supremacy and the self-aggrandizement of the white savior complex. What does their passionate exchange and bad news for Sam entail for their relationship?

| LineColor = #E4785D

}}

|Aux2 = Samantha
| ShortSummary = Sam, Joelle and Coco drive to Sam's childhood home in the suburbs for an event that brings the whole family together. Sam confronts her mother, Tina, about withholding information. Mother and daughter reconcile over a letter, while Joelle and Coco reconcile over cosmetics. 
| LineColor = #E4785D

}}

|Aux2 = none
| ShortSummary = As Rikki Carter arrives on campus, Reggie and Joelle finally come to an agreement over their relationship, prompting Sam and Gabe to reach an accord as well. Sam's confrontation with Rikki doesn't go as planned, but thanks to Coco and her most unexpected of allies, neither does Rikki's speech. Lionel and Sam try and join the mysterious Order of X. 
| LineColor = #E4785D

}} }}

Reception

Critical response

The first two episodes of the series were previewed at SXSW, where The Hollywood Reporter spoke positively of the series, stating, "Retaining all of its razor-sharp wit and then some, Dear White People, Justin Simien"?s acclaimed 2014 big-screen satire of racial relations and identity set at a fictional Ivy League college, has transferred impressively to TV." Peter Debruge, writing for Variety, praised the show's writing, directing, social commentary, and cast. The New York Times praised the show's examination of concerns such as appropriation, assimilation, and conflict.

On Rotten Tomatoes, season one held an approval rating of 100% based on 47 reviews from critics, with an average rating of 8.59/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Timely, provocative, and sharply written, Dear White People is an entertaining blend of social commentary and incisive humor." On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 85 out of 100, based on 21 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".

On Rotten Tomatoes, season two holds an approval rating of 100% based on 25 reviews from critics, with an average rating of 9.58/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Dear White Peoples endearing excellence returns, but with an added layer of emotional maturity that enhances the show's powerful, relevant meditations on race relations in America." On Metacritic, the series has a score of 89 out of 100, based on 7 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".

Controversy

The initial trailer for the TV show attracted some angry responses, with the series being accused by some Twitter users of being racist to white people; they called for a boycott of Netflix. The YouTube trailer for the series received more "dislikes" than "likes", with RT observing a 10:1 ratio of dislikes-to-likes as of 11 February 2017. Series creator Justin Simien responded positively to the backlash, saying it reiterated the point of the series, and brought more attention to it as well. Lead actress Logan Browning noted that many of the critics who have given the show rave reviews are white.

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result
2017	Gotham Independent Film Awards	Breakthrough Series - Long Form	Dear White People