Charity and Dotun, The Bachelorette’s New Fiancés, Want to “Show What Black Love Can Be Like.”
Charity Lawson and DotunOlubeko made history as the franchise’s first monoracial Black pair on Monday’s Bachelorette finale when she accepted his proposal.
Charity, 27, says she didn’t think about it until she and Dotun, 30, got engaged.
“You can’t prepare for who you’re going to meet as the Bachelorette because you clearly don’t know.” “
You also have no idea what those connections will look like,” she adds. “Once me and Dotun started to solidify our connection and it became clear that this man could very well be my husband, I recognized the significance, but it really didn’t hit both of us until the end of the proposal.”
“It wasn’t anything top of mind” for Dotun either.
“It wasn’t until the producer said, ‘Y’all the first monoracial [Black couple], cheers!'” ‘Oh, crap,’ I thought. “We are,” he declares. “That took me by surprise, and I think it’s really beautiful.”
Charity describes how “huge” it is for her and Dotun to have that distinction. (Both Michelle Young, the former Bachelorette, and her final selection, Nayte Olukoya, are half white and half black.)
“And it’s a huge part of our love story,” adds the child and family therapist. “I think it also shows that love is love, and we can’t really label it.”
This form of love must be shown. Even when we watch movies or TV programs, there’s this narrative that with Black couples, there’s this enormous battle or barriers that you have to conquer in order to gain one another or make this relationship work, and that’s the truth.”
Dotun concurs that “this love can’t be put in a box.”
“We know nothing necessarily defines us, but we understand that’s a huge part of our journey, and we are extremely honored to have this position,” adds the integrative medicine expert.
Charity is aware of the “odds that are faced against us” as a Black couple in the real world, but she enjoys how The Bachelorette depicted their tale.
“I am extremely grateful to this franchise for not diminishing my and Dotun’s love story,” she adds. “I am so excited for people to keep up with us.”
I also hope that viewers at home, both those who look like us and those who don’t, are inspired or learn something.”
Dotun also hopes that he and Charity may be role examples for others. “We will do our best to continue to show what beautiful Black love can be like,” he adds. “And we hope that the franchise stays on that path.”
Charity and Dotun’s relationship started the moment he got out of the limo on the first night of shooting.
“I’d already met a few of the men by that point, but when he got out of the limo, I was like, ‘Oh, man.'” “He’s tall,” she remembers.
“But, aside from that, we had this incredible banter that came so naturally to us.” I recall him explaining me in his speech how he came to this point in the path of launching The Bachelorette.
I was really intrigued by the way he talked to me. He had this demeanor that was both peaceful and confident.”
Dotun recalls Charity’s attentiveness to his “spiel.”
“She was just there, so present, and looking in my eyes,” he adds. “I started feeling all these good vibes from just meeting this amazing person who appears to listen and care about what’s being said.”
Dotun was surprised by one aspect of Charity when they first met.
“I didn’t realize how petite she was!” Dotun states. “I thought, ‘Oh my God, she’s so petite.'” But, more than anything, she looked stunning. And she looked much beautiful in person than she did on TV.”
Throughout the season, Charity suspected Dotun was too wonderful to be true. However, the fairy tale has persisted since they were engaged.
“The fact that we couldn’t find anything is just another testament to how this good thing is just a good thing,” Dotun adds.
“That has continued since the filming.” This chick is unstoppable. She’s the cutest thing ever. I’ve just recently started to appreciate her.”
