Survivor 48 player Kyle Fraser opened up to fellow player Joe Hunter about his experiences with the criminal justice system, including a short time in jail for non-violent misdemeanor offenses, in episode 9, which just aired on Wednesday, April 23.
A day after the episode aired, Kyle shared more of his story in an Instagram video, offering more context about his situation. Basically, he mentioned that while his life is in a great place now, in his past, he was arrested for "non-violent misdemeanors" and wanted to share his story.
While he didn't get into the specifics of the cases, he took responsibility for his actions and also shared that he believed that the instances he mentioned were "predicated by racial profiling by law enforcement."
"I've had police officers stick guns in my face point blank at points," Kyle said. "I have been arrested and charged with the same exact crimes as friends of mine who didn't look like me but I got significantly harsher consequences in those instances, and I just learned at really young age that I can get jail time for things that other people don't."
"At the same time, that's not me complaining because it's those exact experiences that push me to work my a** off and become an attorney so I can turn my life around but also help other people out down the line, as well."
Kyle continued to explain how just one interaction with the criminal justice system can affect individuals, families, friends, and communities. He also shared some examples about how he used the situation to work toward becoming a lawyer.
You can watch the video below.
For context, during the ninth episode, Kyle and Joe were sitting on the beach, and Kyle revealed that he was triggered by some of the confrontation and accusations that had happened a day earlier, which aired in episode 8. Kyle was trying to steer a vote away from his ally, Kamilla Karthigesu, and there were a few awkward moments when some in his alliance weren't interested in really hearing him.
Based on what Kyle's speaking about with Joe and in the video, it's easy to see why a person who has been treated unfairly at such a crucial time might have difficulty sharing their opinion when confronted in a hostile way. As we all know, we never know when things from our past might pop up and affect our future.
It's great to see Kyle fully embracing his story and sharing that with millions of viewers at home. I'm sure many people can relate to Kyle's story and experience, and that's one of the best things that Survivor has been able to do throughout the series, but especially more recently. We're seeing people from different backgrounds and experiences get to share their story, in their own words, and if it helps one person, it's worth it.
It takes a lot of courage on Kyle's part to share his story on national TV, and I think he should be admired for the bravery it took to share that story and connect with people who might be in a similar situation.