For the first time in Big Brother history, a Black woman has been crowned the winner!
24 seasons later, Miss Michigan USA holder Taylor Hale made history by becoming the only African-American female victor of the CBS-produced game show thus far.
Songstress Tamar Braxton took home the triumphant title for the franchise’s spin-off, Celebrity Big Brother, back in 2019, but Taylor Hale’s achievement serves as the first for the original reality series.
Fellow contestant, (the Leftovers alliance member) Monte Taylor joined Taylor Hale for the final two after winning the Head of Household competition, eliminating additional finalist Matthew Turner in the process.
Hale said in her plea to the jury:
“I HAVE OVERCOME SO MUCH IN THIS GAME AND I HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND THAT I AM NOT A SHIELD. I AM A SWORD. I AM NOT A VICTIM. I AM A VICTOR. IF THERE IS ONE WORD THAT IS GOING TO DESCRIBE THE ENTIRE SEASON, IT IS RESILIENCY. IF YOU WERE TO ASK YOURSELF WHO THE MOST RESILIENT PERSON OF THIS SEASON HAS BEEN, IT IS ME.”
She added,
“WE CAN HAVE THE SAME BIG BROTHER WINS THAT WE’VE HAD IN THE PAST, BUT I AM CHALLENGING YOU JURY MEMBERS. I’M CHALLENGING ALL OF YOU TO DECIDE WHAT TYPE OF WINNER YOU WANT TO HAVE THIS YEAR? DO WE WANT THE SAME THING, WHERE WE SEE EVICTIONS AND COMP WINS BE THE PATH TO SUCCESS? OR DO WE WANT A WINNER WHERE WE CHOOSE RESILIENCY, WE CHOOSE PERSISTENCE AS A REASON TO WIN THIS GAME. I HAVE NEVER GIVEN UP ON MYSELF AND I REFUSE TO DO IT TONIGHT WHEN I’M SITTING NEXT TO SUCH A STRONG COMPETITOR.”
Subsequently, the jury ruled in Hale’s favor with an 8-1 vote in a head-to-head battle. The 27-year-old pageant queen bagged $750,000, plus an extra $50,000 for being named America’s Favorite Houseguest!
Although Hale is the first Black woman to win Big Brother, season 23 winner Xavier Prather became the first Black person, as a whole, to win the competition last year.
Earlier in Hale’s run, Big Brother Alum Xavier Prather spoke out following claims of Hale experiencing unfair treatment from other competitors in the house.
Xavier Prather expressed:
“MEMBERS OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY (ESPECIALLY BLACK WOMEN) AND OTHER PEOPLE OF COLOR STAND NO CHANCE IN THE BIG BROTHER HOUSE DUE TO THE PERPETUATION OF MICRO-AGGRESSIONS AND UNCONSCIOUS BIASES WHICH PLAGUE OUR SOCIETY.”
The Michigan-born attorney continued,
“IN THE FUTURE, I HOPE IT DOESN’T TAKE A ‘COOKOUT’ FOR BLACK HOUSEGUESTS (OR ANY POC HOUSEGUEST) TO FINALLY ESCAPE THE FEELING OF BEING OSTRACIZED WITHIN THE BIG BROTHER HOUSE FOR SIMPLY EXISTING. CHANGE IS A MUST! UNTIL THEN, I KNOW MY FELLOW MICHIGANDER WILL KEEP HER HEAD HIGH AND STAND TALL LIKE THE QUEEN THAT SHE IS.”
Well, it certainly looks like she held her head high–right on to the grand prize. Congratulations to Taylor Hale on such a historic accomplishment!
