History Series / DearWhitePeople

* TheDitz: Kelsey, in some aspects. Following the blackface party, Kelsey successfully manages to get a therapy dog for herself because she told the counselor she would kill herself over the party. In addition, she was genuinely surprised that racism was still a thing that could happen.

* YourCheatingHeart: Professor Nieka Hobbs, who is clearly in a monogamous relationship with another woman, is having an affair with [[spoiler: Troy.]]

* DarkAndTroubledPast: Coco in Episode 6 reveals [[spoiled: she's watched friends and family die at the hands of PoliceBrutality]] and [[SurvivorsGuilt harbors the feeling that she could've done something to save them.]]

* CerberusSyndrome: Episode 5 is when the show takes a darker yet [[TruthInTelevison realistic]] turn where [[spoiler: Reggie is held at gunpoint by campus police after a fight at a party, where *he's* considered the instigator and for nothing more than insulting the officer.]]

* PoliceBrutality: What sets up the second plot in the climax of Episode 5 - [[spoiler: when Reggie eventually quarrels with a white student over NWordPrivileges at a party, campus police show up with immediate assumption that Reggie was the instigator and demand identification while virulently dismissing Joelle when she comes to his defense. Reggie's quip "Fuck these pigs" provokes one of the officers to [[DisproportionateRetribution ''draw his gun on him'']], conjuring a scene that where people of color [[TruthInTelevision have either experienced and/or unfortunately not survived to tell the aftermath]]. Fortunately, though Reggie shakingly complies with fear for his life and does leave with it, he's understandably broken by the confrontation.]]

* TakeThatMe: In the first episode, the narrator says the writers need him to set up the plot because they're too lazy to do it the regular way.

--> '''Sam:''' ''Dear white people... wow. Y'all really trying it. I get that being reduced to a race-based generalization is a new and devastating experience for some of you, but here's the difference. My jokes don't incarcerate your youth at alarming rates or make it unsafe for you to walk around your own neighborhoods. But yours do. When you mock or belittle us, you enforce an existing system. Cops everywhere staring down the barrel of a gun at a black man don't see a human being. They see a caricature... a thug... a nigger.''

* HypocriticalHumor: When Al complains about how Apple uses child slave labor in China to manufacture its phone, his phone starts going off. Guess what phone it is?

* FagHag: The woman in the couple who Lionel goes home with realizes she's this as her partner is really gay.

* TheDitz: Kelsey, in some aspects. Following the blackface party, Kelsey successfully manages to get a therapy dog for herself because she told the counselor she would kill herself over the party. In addition, she was genuinely surprised that racism was still a thing that could happen. Even though she's black herself.

* TheDitz: Kelsey, in some aspects. Following the blackface party, Kelsey successfully manages to get a therapy dog for herself because she told the counselor she would kill herself over the party. In addition, she was genuinely surprised that racism was still a thing that could happen.

** Not to mention the episode centered on Gabe where all his [[FantasySequence fantasy sequences]] are parodies of films like DoTheRightThing, {{Persona}}, and {{Blaxploitation}} flicks.

** Not to mention the episode centered on Gabe where all his [[FantasySequence fantasy sequences]] are parodies of films like DoTheRightThing, [[Film/Persona Persona]], and {{Blaxploitation}} flicks.

!Examples:

* TakeThatAudience: Quite a few exchanges, particularly Sam's rants on her "Dear White People" radio show, can and are most probably meant to directly address certain [[HateDumb|audience members]] of the series as well as those who [[ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontWatch|didn't bother watching]] because of the title:

* StraightGay: Lionel, though another gay guy notices even so.

[[caption-width-right:350: This changes everything.]]

* {{Parody}}: The black students watch a show called ''Defamation'' which is clearly one for ''{{Series/Scandal}}''.

* {{Parody}}: The black students watch a show called "Defamation" which is clearly one for ''Series/Scandal''.

* FagHag: The woman in the couple who Lionel goes home with realizes she's this as her partner is really gay, more interested in kissing the guys they bring over.

* ComingOutStory: Lionel, unlike the character in the film, is still questioning his sexuality at the beginning of the series. He grows increasingly sure he's gay before finally coming out to his roommate Troy (who he finds attractive, though [[IncompatibleOrientation the latter is very straight]]).

A ''{{Creator/Netflix}}'' original adaptation of the 2014 [[Film/DearWhitePeople]], this online television series follows the same basic plot, with Logan Browning as Sam White and [=DeRon Horton=] as Lionel. Creator/GiancarloEsposito provides narration at the beginning of each episode.

* MixedAncestry: Sam openly acknowledges she's biracial to her friends, something which she never does in the film.
* RoleReprisal: Brandon Bell and Marque Richardson reprise their roles playing Troy and Reggie.