Big Brother makes history with season 23 finale

Photo Courtesy of Distractify

Reality show “Big Brother” has finally made history by crowning Milwaukee attorney Xavier Prather, its first-ever Black winner in its history. The show plucks 16 contestants from their couches to take part in a social experiment where competitors are isolated from the outside world and must interact with people from different backgrounds, ideas and beliefs.

Back in November 2020, CBS vowed to have at least 50% BIPOC casts across their reality series. The move was wildly accepted across all communities, with “Big Brother” being one of the main targets in this move. CBS reality shows typically had only four contestants of color and sometimes as few as one contestant of color. After controversial seasons back-to-back in seasons 21 and 22, consisting of racist remarks and all-white alliances dominating the game, it was finally time for a change.

This season was rightfully a more balanced cast – specifically, six Black contestants took part. Dating back to day one of a grueling 85-day experience, an alliance entitled “The Cookout,” comprised of Azah Awasum, Derek Frazier, Hannah Chaddha, Kyland Young, Tiffany Mitchell and the winner, Prather, had one goal in mind – to enable the first Black contestant to win in the games’ history. All six houseguests set their individual game plans and close relationships with other houseguests aside in the quest to be the final six and guarantee a history-making win.

Those six houseguests, despite the arguing, the manipulation and having strong friendships with the other 10 people in the house, managed to make it to the final six. Once that dream of making history became a reality, the game turned on its head, as “The Cookout” had to start targeting each other.

Finale night loomed dramatically with three houseguests left standing. Prather went home with the biggest prize in the show’s history at $750,000. Prather would eventually choose to bring along his number one ally in the house to the final two, making Frazier this season’s runner-up. Frazier ended up with a $75,000 prize. Finishing in third place was Awasum. Prather also became the third person to ever win unanimously in the regular version of Big Brother, defeating Frazier by a vote of 9-0 by the jury of previously evicted houseguests. To top it off, Mitchell took home $50,000 for being voted America’s Favorite Houseguest. Tiffany was the creator and mastermind of “The Cookout” alliance.

Season 23 of “Big Brother” was a terrific one. It had an overall great and likable cast, with amazing gameplay, heartbreaking betrayals, blindsides and, of course, the greatest alliance in the history of the game. All it took was a fair and diverse cast to equalize the playing field and eventually crown the first Black winner. This is a new era for the “Big Brother” franchise as the show looks to build off the success of a historic and fun season.