Netflix announced the final season of “Dear White People” will launch Sept. 22 and be a musical season.
“The only way to move forward is to throw it back,” a teaser for the season previews. From there a cover of Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It” kicks into gear.
The teaser also shows the students getting ready to dance, with snapping of hands and getting into formation to perform Jordan’s 1995 hit. There is an Afro-futuristic and 1990s-inspired dance floor, as the students of the fictional Winchester University look back on their time on campus amid their final year.
“Dear White People,” an extension of the film of the same name by Justin Simien, deals with issues of race, class and sexuality on that college campus. Logan Browning’s Sam White hosts a radio show within the series that is also titled “Dear White People” and is where a lot of the more direct conversation comes from. However, previous seasons also dealt with police brutality and abuse of power by famous figures head-on through storylines for characters including Reggie (Marque Richardson) and Muffy (Caitlin Carver).
Identity politics are at the forefront of the series, with the focus on the experiences of Black students and how they navigate the culture at Winchester. Topics that can be uncomfortable, especially on a campus that is known for its prestige and tradition, is woven through in a smart and necessary way that brings levity to the institutionalized oppression that the students endure.
The series also stars Antoinette Robertson, Brandon P. Bell, DeRon Horton, John Patrick Amedori and Ashley Blaine Featherson. Simien, who just signed a new overall deal with Paramount Television Studios, and executive producer Jaclyn Moore serve as co-showrunners of “Dear White People: Volume 4.”