Before moving to
New York City, James worked at
PNC Bank in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He works for
CBRE Group, Inc., a commercial real estate company in New York City. James is also the founder of ABC Food Tours, a non-profit organization that educates children in underserved communities about food and exercise in New York City.
The Bachelor James and
The Bachelorette contestant
Tyler Cameron, his friend and work colleague, played football at Wake Forest University together. Cameron's mother nominated James to be a contestant on
The Bachelorette before she died. James was originally cast to be a contestant for
season 16 of
The Bachelorette, starring
Clare Crawley, but after filming was delayed due to the
impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, he was instead selected to be the next Bachelor for
season 25 of
The Bachelor, becoming the first male African American lead in the franchise's history. He is the first Black Bachelor lead in the show's history. The season concluded with James choosing to pursue a relationship with 24-year-old graphic designer
Rachael Kirkconnell.
Dancing with the Stars In September 2021, James was announced as one of the celebrities competing on
season 30 of
Dancing with the Stars. He was partnered with
Lindsay Arnold. They were eliminated on week 4, finishing in 12th place. ==Personal life==