After 85 days of competition, Xavier Prather became the first Black winner in 23 seasons of the CBS hit reality show Big Brother, according to Entertainment Weekly.
After defeating Derek Frazier in a unanimous 9-0 vote, Prather, a 27-year-old attorney from Milwaukee, won a grand prize of $750,000.
According to the show’s description, “Big Brother follows a group of people living together in a house outfitted with dozens of high-definition cameras and microphones recording their every move, 24 hours a day. Each week, the Houseguests will vote someone out of the house.”
Prather spoke about the euphoric feeling of being declared the winner and how he wanted to help change the narrative of the show.
“It’s kind of surreal,” Prather said after his historic victory. “I wanted to make a difference. I wanted this season to be different from past seasons and luckily I had five other like-minded individuals in the house to help me with that goal and we accomplished it. And then I was fortunate enough to be crowned the winner. So it’s incredible.”
The five other people Prather was referring to named themselves the “Cookout.” The group was an all-Black alliance between the six Black contestants: Azah Awasum, Derek Frazier, Kyland Young, Hannah Chaddha, and Tiffany Mitchell. The “Cookout” was formed to ensure that a Black person would take home the top prize.
Prather noted the significance of his win and considered himself honored to be the first Black person to win.
Being the first Black winner in ‘BB’ U.S. history is an honor. And, it’s something that the individuals of the Cookout came together to make happen because we felt it was something bigger than this game. Representation is important,” he said. “We wanted to show that with this season, and we accomplished that.”
Now that he’s won, Prather hopes that he can be a role model for Black children in regards to alternative avenues that can lead to success.
“We want little Black boys and little Black girls to see: Hey, there are ways to be successful,” he explained. ‘There are ways to make an impact without being an amazing entertainer or being a professional athlete.’
Black Excellence: Xavier Prather Becomes The First Black Winner Of CBS’ ‘Big Brother
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