When Netflix dropped America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, everyone expected the high kicks and the drama of training camp. What many didn't expect was the immediate, loud conversation about who we weren't seeing on screen. If you spent any time on TikTok or Reddit after the premiere, the sentiment was everywhere: "Where are the Black women?"
It’s a valid question. Honestly, it’s a complicated one too.
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC) are basically the gold standard of professional cheer. They’re "America’s Sweethearts." But for a show that claims to pull back the curtain on this "world-class" organization, it felt to many viewers like the camera spent a lot of time on a very specific, very blonde demographic.
The Screen Time Discrepancy
Let’s get into the numbers because they tell a weird story. On the actual 2023-2024 roster, about 22% of the team was Black. That’s roughly 8 out of the 36 women. If you compare that to the general U.S. population—which is around 14-15% Black—the team itself is actually more diverse than the national average.
But the Netflix series? That felt different.
Most of the narrative heavy lifting was done by Kelcey, Victoria, and Reece. We saw their homes, their moms, their inner turmoil, and their career transitions. Meanwhile, talented Black veterans like Jada McLean, Armani Latimer, and Chandi Dayle often felt like background characters. They were there, sure. We saw them in the kick line. We saw them in rehearsals. But we didn't always know them the way we knew the others.
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Jada and Armani eventually got more shine in Season 2 and through press runs with outlets like BET, but that initial "where are they?" feeling from Season 1 stuck with people. It’s not just about presence; it's about the depth of the story.
Why the Camera Pans Away
Director Greg Whiteley, the guy behind Cheer and Last Chance U, didn’t dodge this completely. He’s mentioned in interviews that they actually approached a few women of color with incredible stories who simply weren’t interested in being featured.
That’s a side of reality TV we don’t talk about much.
For a Black woman in a high-profile, historically white space like the DCC, the stakes of "opening up" on camera are different. You’ve got the "double jeopardy" of navigating both racism and sexism. Some cheerleaders have mentioned they want to be seen as dancers first. They don’t necessarily want to spend their limited screen time explaining what it’s like to be the "only one" in the room or dealing with the "highly manipulated" storylines that come with Netflix fame.
Basically, some of these women are protects of their own peace. They have full-time careers as nurses, sales execs, and law students. They don't always want a Netflix edit following them into their professional lives.
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The "Barbie" Standard and Typecasting
There’s also the elephant in the room: the DCC aesthetic.
The show didn't shy away from the fact that Kelli Finglass and Judy Trammell have a very specific "look" they’re hunting for. They literally use words like "typecasting." In one of the more uncomfortable scenes of the first season, two women of color were cut early on, and the feedback felt... vague.
Critics and fans on Reddit pointed out that the "ideal" DCC often leans toward the "blonde or brunette Barbie" archetype. When the standard of beauty is rooted in Western, Eurocentric features, women with natural hair or darker skin tones are already starting from a place of having to "prove" they fit the brand.
Watching the show, you see the "makeover" episodes where hair is a massive deal. For Black cheerleaders, navigating those "uniformity" rules while maintaining hair health is a whole different ballgame. While the show touched on it briefly with Jada and Armani in later episodes, it often felt like the series was tiptoeing around the systemic reasons why the "look" is so rigid.
The Problem with "Accidental" Representation
The series has been called an "accidental feminist documentary" because it shows the grueling labor and low pay these women endure. But if the feminism isn't intersectional, it misses the mark.
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If you're only showing the "struggle" of the white cheerleaders while treating the Black cheerleaders as flawless, silent athletes, you're still dehumanizing them in a way. You’re not giving them the same grace to be messy, vulnerable, or complex.
Honestly, the most interesting parts of the DCC story aren't just the kicks. It’s how these women—especially the Black women and other WOC—reclaim a space that wasn't originally built for them. When Jada McLean talks about her "hair story" or Armani Latimer discusses the pressure of the LSAT alongside the pressure of the 50-yard line, that is the content people were looking for.
What We Can Learn from the Backlash
The conversation around the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader Netflix show not showing enough Black women isn't just "outrage culture." It’s about who gets to be the "face" of an American icon.
If Netflix and the Cowboys organization want to move forward without the "racism" tags trending every time a season drops, they have to do a few things:
- Invest in the "Quiet" Stories: Don't just follow the loudest or most "traditional" characters. Some of the most compelling narratives are with the women who are juggling high-stakes corporate careers with pro dance.
- Acknowledge the Aesthetic Bias: Be honest about the "look." The show is at its best when it’s being raw. If there’s a "silent quota" or a bias toward certain features, address it.
- Give WOC the "Human" Edit: Show them when they're tired. Show them when they're failing. Don't just use them as high-energy transition clips.
The DCC isn't a monolith anymore, and the media coverage shouldn't be either. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the squad or just a casual Netflix binger, it’s worth looking past the blonde curls and asking whose story is being left on the cutting room floor.
The next time you're watching, keep an eye on the background. Sometimes the most impressive athletes on that field are the ones the producers forgot to mic up.
Actionable Insight: If you want to see the full scope of diversity in the DCC, follow the individual cheerleaders on social media. Many of the Black veterans share more about their "real life" and the challenges of the uniform on their own platforms than the Netflix edit ever allowed. Support the dancers, not just the "brand."