Opening up.

Charity Lawson is kicking off her journey as “The Bachelorette” for Season 20 of the beloved show.

As Bachelor Nation gets excited to watch her love story unfold, the fan-favorite leading lady stopped by for an exclusive chat with BachelorNation.com.

Charity opened up about what it means to her to be the second monoracial Black woman to be the Bachelorette.

She said, “I think I’m still processing it, but as I begin to watch this back with the rest of the world, I think it will hit me a lot more. When I was first announced as the Bachelorette, my head immediately went to that I’m not just the next Bachelorette, I am the second monoracial Black Bachelorette and that’s huge. This is the 20th season of the show, so just looking at the numbers, that’s a big deal and I’ve never lost sight of that.”

Charity continued on, saying, “Knowing that there are going to be young women and girls at home that look like me seeing not what is typically shown on reality TV or just on TV in general, it’s huge. I know my ability and I know how to navigate this and I’m showing that we’re deserving of these spaces as well. Our stories deserve to be told and shared. We also need more of these opportunities to be granted to Black women, so just knowing that I’m a part of making strides, slowly but surely, is something that I’m so grateful for.”

Charity also shared that she’s been connecting with former Bachelorette Michelle Young about her experience and Michelle has been sharing advice for her.

The Bachelorette said, “I have had two or three conversations with Michelle Young. She reached out to me right away and she’s just incredible and super sweet. Obviously, she understands being in this position as a Black woman, so it’s been nice to have her to lean on and ask questions. We’ve talked about how she navigated things, and she’s reminded me to rely on my support system like my family, friends, and even her. It’s been really amazing knowing she’s in my corner and talking to her is always so refreshing.”

Charity also teased how she was feeling after night one of her season, which fans will watch unfold on June 26.

She said, “I definitely like the presence and energy that I was getting overall was great. I did not get any bad vibes from the guys. I feel very at peace even though I obviously don’t know all these men to their core yet, but I am very optimistic and hopeful for what could be, so I would say I left night one feeling smitten!”

And when it comes to how Charity handles fan comments online, she’s been really thankful for all of the support.

She said, “It’s been great seeing that the response has for the most part been super positive in the absolute best way. I love engaging positively with fans, but I know I can’t please everyone. There will always be those few negative comments and that’s all right. I definitely try not to read those, but sometimes it’s hard.”

Charity went on, saying, “We all also know that Charity has got a little bit of sass her in, so every now and then I like to clap back, but I know when it’s appropriate to engage with and what’s not. I just look for the humor in all of it. Being able to laugh it off and laugh at it is the best way to go about it!”

We love Charity’s outlook, and we can’t wait to watch her season unfold!