What is the lead character's name in "Dear White People"?

The lead character in Dear White People is Samantha White. She is a biracial media-arts student at the fictional, predominantly white Winchester University and hosts a provocative campus radio program called Dear White People.

Samantha uses the show to challenge racism, tokenism, and the social assumptions surrounding Black students at Winchester. Her activism makes her influential, but it also creates conflict with friends, classmates, administrators, and members of the Black student community who disagree about her methods.

The character first appeared in Justin Simien’s 2014 film, where she was played by Tessa Thompson. Logan Browning portrayed Samantha in the television adaptation, which premiered on Netflix in 2017 and expanded the story into an ensemble drama.

The title refers to Samantha’s radio show rather than to a separate character. She is often called “Sam” in the story, but Samantha White is the full canonical name. The film and series share the character while exploring her through somewhat different casts and story structures.