“I think we have gotten to a point where it is politically incorrect to talk about race,” reader Jim Carmignani noted on the message board. “Perhaps this will help rejuvenate conversation and understanding.”

If Carmignani wants a" conversation" on race, this scenario certainly will start it off with some intriguing questions. What will be done about people of mixed black/white ancestry? Will the producers of"Survivor" assign them to the black team on the basis of the"one-drop" rule as used in the Homer Plessy case? Will the segregation be extended to separate drinking fountains and restrooms? Will contestants who drop out be considered"traitors to their race?"