Change On The Rise

By Da’Vontae Randolph | Blog Editor and Community Commentator

When I played my first LRG back in 2020 I found myself in a similar situation I had been in many times in life. I arrived at the location, met the rest of the cast and crew, and realized I was the only black individual there. This didn’t bother me, and I wasn’t upset because I knew it wasn’t intentional, and it wasn’t the first time I had been in a situation like this. I knew how to navigate and handle myself, and more importantly I was just excited to play the game of Survivor. 

Immediately I felt there were parts of my life, my experience, that wouldn’t be relatable to the people around me, and so I tuned them out. Specifics of culture and history weren’t going to be pivotal talking points. Facets of humor and understanding weren’t going to come across the same. And in a social game full of connections and bonds you needed to be as relatable as possible, or so I believed. Regardless of everything my mind was telling me, I played the game to the best of my ability the entire way through. I loved the experience, the connections I made, and the memories I was able to take away. They were all positive and filled with love and happiness, and all I could do was wonder what my experience would’ve been like if I were able to play with people who looked like me and shared familiarities with me. And that’s what I was looking forward to in my next game. 

Two years go by and I find myself cast for my second LRG. Another chance to prove myself and to live out this dream, and another chance to hopefully play with other Black individuals is all that I could think about for weeks. I was excited to not openly stand out. But then the cast for the upcoming season dropped and once again, in a group full of 24 individuals, I found myself to be the only Black individual. This time didn’t feel the same as the first time. I was confused, I was upset, and more importantly I just wanted to know why. 

And from there I decided to use my voice. To raise questions, to spark conversation, and to figure out why black people were being primarily absent from these spaces. Survivor at its core is a social game where people from various backgrounds and walks of life come together to live and compete, and I didn’t believe that experience would be complete if an entire racial group was missing. And I realized I wasn’t alone in my thinking once the support started flooding in. Others who had shared similar thoughts and experiences and even those who didn’t, who just wanted to simply see change and representation, all started showing up. This led to fundamental conversations, new outlooks, and most importantly change in the LRG world. It wasn’t going to be easy, it was going to take effort and attention, but it was going to progress our community forward in an important and pivotal way. And I truly believe it did. 

Years later and I am so proud of how far our community has come. And not just for its effort and inclusion of more black individuals in casts, but for the advanced inclusion of all BIPOC individuals, individuals with disabilities, older individuals, individuals with health disorders, and everyone else in between. This community is thriving as an accepting and safe place for all, and that’s when it shines its best. Yes, there are still times where representation is lacking and subgroups are absent, but I believe if we continue to use our voices and unite as a community that we can continue to see the change we want to make.