Just two weeks ago, Bravo fans were applauding the Summer House season 10 cast for having a candid discussion about race around the dinner table. As the conversation shifted to Ciara Miller, a Black woman, and West Wilson, a white man, who were dating at the end of 2023, and to the backlash that followed their breakup, Ciara said, “I don’t think you guys also understand the interracial aspect that exists.”
Clearly, at least two people at the table didn’t. Neither did a large portion of the internet. Because now—after West and fellow castmate Amanda Batula announced, via a joint statement, that their feelings are evolving into a “still very new” dynamic following weeks of speculation that they’re secretly dating—many fans of the series are asking that we please, please not make this about race.
Do I think that the cast of Summer House is racist? No. Do I think the commentators saying they “don’t see the big deal,” “West and Ciara weren’t a real relationship,” “West and Amanda are a better match,” are racist? Not really, no. But I do think the reactions reek of the kind of anti-blackness and subconscious bias that many Black women, myself included, have encountered in our friendships and relationships with white men and white women. As Reality With Ali put it beautifully in her video reaction to the Summer House drama, “Anti-blackness is not the same as calling someone racist or saying they hate Black people. Anti-blackness is often not intentional; it’s not always conscious. Often, it shows up in who gets chosen and who is deemed as ‘long-term material.’”
A glaring example of this is how so many social media commentators view Ciara and West’s dating history. West took her to meet his parents. They stayed with his brother in Chicago, went to a wedding together, and, even though Ciara had been initially guarded against it, slept together. But then, West was quoted in a post-breakup interview with The New York Times, saying, “the relationship ran its course.” During the season 8 reunion, Ciara told him, “That’s mean to take someone to your parents’ house and want to sleep with them when you have no intention of doing anything. You got everything you wanted out of me, and I got literally the bare minimum.” Ciara felt used and discarded, while West wrote it off as not being ready to commit to a relationship. And since they never labeled the relationship, he had semantics on his side.
Despite breaking up with her, in the two seasons that followed West continued to pursue Ciara, flirting with her, trying to get back into her good graces, telling his castmates that he thought their relationship had been “dreamy,” and calling her the “love of my life.” He also apologized for not understanding the racist backlash Ciara had received after he went to the press to talk about their relationship. He got upset when another castmate, Jesse Solomon, asked if he could make out with Ciara. And yet, commenters still downplay Ciara’s feelings—it happened ages ago, she should get over it, it wasn’t real.
Speaking of Jesse, Ciara was sincerely offended when she learned of his request to make out with her. “Everyone knows I’m more traditional than your average girl,” she said on the show. “Me and Jesse are real friends. So, I just don’t understand why you only see me in this light of a good time girl, when that’s so not my vibe anyway?” She cried in bed, opening up about how men just want to “experience” her and being relegated to a “hook up.”
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