The Class of 2018 will welcome you back to Winchester University. Amid a series of high-profile cancellations of shows such as Sense8 (which is now being brought back for a two hour special) and The Get Down, Netflix has renewed Dear White People for a second season.

Based on Justin Simien's 2014 film of the same name, Dear White People follows a group of black activists on a majority-white Ivy League campus. Following a blackface party thrown by one of the campus's leading provocateurs, the students face a culture of bias, racial injustice, and political incorrectness, which culminates in a near-fatal run in with campus security. Moonlight director Barry Jenkins stepped behind the camera for an episode during season 1, whereas Simien - who was awarded a U .S. dramatic special jury award for breakthrough talent at the 2014 Sundance awards for his original film - directed three of the ten episodes in Dear White People's first season.

Produced by Lionsgate's television division, Dear White People is now set to go into production on a ten episode sophomore season later this year, as announced by Simien (who created the show) at the Essence Festival. Yvette Leee Bowser will return as showrunner, and the first season's breakout cast lead by Logan Browning will also be back. Netflix further confirmed the news by posting the following video to the official Dear White People Twitter account:

In the lead up to the first season, the title and concept of the show drew criticisms online, with claims of racism and "white genocide" being hurled at the series. These complaints mattered very little in the long run; Dear White People season 1 debuted to a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes - and with good reason. Given the room to breathe afforded by it being a TV series rather than a two hour film, the show was a triumph. By turns hilarious and poignant, it sought to challenge audiences rather than just stay in their comfort zone. The talent of both the writers and the young cast of relative newcomers shone through; without a doubt, it is one of Netflix's better comedies.

There is no word on when season 2 will be released, other than some time next year. The first season ended with a cliffhanger of sorts, and Simien promises that many small details from season 1 will lead into bigger plots in season 2. With the same creative team returning, expect more of the biting satirical wit and real heart that made the first season such a success.

NEXT: Sense8 is Getting a Two-Hour Finale Episode

Dear White People season 2 premiere on Netflix in 2018.

Source: Netflix