Big Brother's historic Black victory shows the future of reality TV

The long-running show will crown its 1st Black champion. It should start a new era in reality TV.

Big Brother contestants.
(Image credit: Illustrated | CBS, iStock)

Tonight's Big Brother finale will make reality TV history. For the first time in its 23 seasons, the hit CBS competition show will crown a Black winner chosen from three finalists: Azah Awasum, Derek Frazier, and Xavier Prather.

These contestants didn't reach this stage by chance. They made it to the last night largely because of a rock-solid, secret alliance the show's six African-American players formed at the season's start. That strategy — and its reception among viewers and other contestants alike — gives this Black victory on Big Brother a significance beyond the outcome of tonight's finale.

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Neil J. Young

Neil J. Young is a historian and the author of We Gather Together: The Religious Right and the Problem of Interfaith Politics. He writes frequently on American politics, culture, and religion for publications including The New York Times, The Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times, HuffPost, Vox, and Politico. He co-hosts the history podcast Past Present.