Matt James criticizes 'Bachelor' host Chris Harrison's comments

Matt James, the first Black star of "The Bachelor," is speaking out about host Chris Harrison's comments blaming "the woke police" for condemning a contestant who attended an Antebellum South party and was accused of other racially charged actions.

"The past few weeks have been some of the most challenging of my life," the entrepreneur and community-organization founder, 29, said on Instagram Monday. In a statement he addressed "troubling information that has come to light since we wrapped filming, including the incredibly disappointing photos of Rachael Kirkconnell," this season's front-runner, as well as Harrison's Feb. 9 interview with "Extra" correspondent Rachel Lindsay, who in 2017 became the first African-American star of "The Bachelorette."

Calling Harrison's comments "devastating and heartbreaking," James noted that "Chris' failure to receive and understand the emotional labor that my friend Rachel Lindsay was taking on by graciously and patiently explaining the racist history of the Antebellum South, a painful history that every American should understand intimately, was troubling and painful to watch."

He added, "As Black people and allies immediately knew and understood, it was a clear reflection of a much larger issue that The Bachelor franchise has fallen short on addressing adequately for years."

Harrison, 49, apologized the day after the interview, and three days later announced that he would step down indefinitely as host of the "Bachelor" franchise.

Kirkconnell, 24, apologized on Feb. 11 for what she called her "offensive and racist" actions in attending the Old South party in 2018, and for liking racist social-media posts and allegedly bullying past classmates for dating Black men. Kirkconnell is still one of the four remaining women on the show, which was filmed before the controversy erupted.

"This moment," wrote James, who is biracial and identifies as Black, "has sparked critical conversations and reporting, raised important questions, and resulted in inspiring displays of solidarity from The Bachelor nation. It has also pushed me to reevaluate and process what my experience on The Bachelor represents" for himself, contestants of color and viewers.

He concluded by saying he would "continue to process this experience, and you will hear more from me in the end. My greatest prayer is that this is an inflection point that results in real and institutional change for the better."