Welcome to Inside Survivor’s 50 For 50, a semi-regular feature highlighting 50 former castaways who we think should be considered for a spot on Survivor 50. In a snake draft, the Inside Survivor team selected ten players each, with the only rule being they couldn’t have played more than twice.
PROFILE
Name: Clarence Black
Age: 47
Season: Africa, 2001-2002
Finish: 10th place
HIGHLIGHTS
Survivor seasons come and go, but the Shaba National Reserve in Kenya remains one of, if not the most difficult, location the show has ever used in its extensive history. There was no clean water source, the reserve’s animals surrounded the tribe shelters, and the heat was unforgiving. However, as Clarence Black would immediately find out, the only thing more unforgiving than the weather was his competitors.
On paper, Clarence had it made going into the season. He was a young, physically fit guy on a season that valued physical prowess in the game’s earliest stages. However, he would soon be labeled as distrustful and greedy by his Boran tribemates after he opened a can of beans for a weakened Diane Ogden and then ate some himself. It didn’t help that his age, race, and life experiences already separated him from other cast members, as some players’ comments would hint at. Despite starting on as wrong of a foot as he could have, Clarence survived the vote due to his strength being more useful in the challenges.
Even with players taking every opportunity to point out that they didn’t trust Clarence after this one incident, he took all of it in stride. The alienation he faced never stopped him from making the most of his experience and fighting for his place in the tribe. He continued to excel in the challenges and do everything possible to better his position in the game, including forming friendships with the former Samburu members once the first-ever tribe swap occurred.
Clarence would survive three tribal councils in the pre-merge, receiving votes at two of them. Once the merge hit, he knew he would have to win immunity to stay. Unfortunately, Clarence could never truly change the perception others had of him since the beginning of the game, and he was voted out right before the jury. However, the legacy of his last tribal council would prove to be a turning point in the game, as his and Teresa Cooper’s votes for Lex van den Berghe would create some of the more dynamic storylines and chaotic moments as the jury started.
WHY HE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED
Clarence had a lot working against him going into Survivor: Africa. Years before the Survivor Diversity Campaign initiatives would gain ground, Clarence began the season as the only Black man and the youngest man on his tribe. Yes, he ate the beans, but the way his tribemates talked down to him was completely disproportionate to the actual offense, and watching this moment in 2024 makes it all the more uncomfortable. I want to see Clarence back for many reasons, but giving him a chance to start fresh in the new era is the main reason I selected him for 50.
With this in mind, it’s important to note that many players throughout Survivor history have been victims of a similar hive mind within their tribe, but not all of them will make this list. So why Clarence? Well, as I previously stated, Clarence’s resilience in the game when all the cards were stacked against him stood out amongst his contemporaries, and this was in the time before immunity idols and other advantages. I can only imagine what he would be able to accomplish in a new era of the game.
On a character level, Clarence was hilarious. Watching back confirmed that he is a natural confessionalist, one of the best of his season. My favorite moment was his war with the chickens Boran won on reward. Clarence wanted to eat a chicken, but others wanted to wait and see if they would lay eggs. Eventually, they reached a compromise, promising to kill a chicken if they didn’t lay an egg the next day. A chicken did, in fact, end up laying the tiniest egg the next morning, which Clarence was convinced was just to spite him. This became one of my favorite segments of the season, particularly his reaction to finding out he lost his end of the bargain.
From his spur-of-the-moment quips to the behind-the-scenes segment on his war paint, Clarence always knew how to deliver entertainment. If you listen to his most recent appearances on RHAP, particularly his “Talking with T-Bird” episode, you’ll know that he still has his sense of humor all these years later. Another thing to take away from these interviews is that Clarence has made it clear that he wants to play again, and he has a lot more life experience under his belt to help him with his second chance.
When Clarence played for the first time, he was 24 years old. Now, he is 47, married with children, and has a career in the army. He has been through many life changes since his stint on reality TV, making him all the more compelling of a player to bring back for a second go. We may be in a new era of Survivor, but there are many old-school players whose stories deserve to be told again. With the new diversity initiatives at work, I think Clarence is the perfect choice of underrated character to bring back for Survivor 50.
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