Here’s What a White Savior Is (And Why It’s the Opposite of Helpful)

Volunteering in African countries, “saving” Muslim hijabi women, watching movies with white teachers “inspiring” low-income students of color.

Are these examples of helpful white allies – or are they causing more harm than good?

Here’s Celia Edell with an explanation of why these “feel good” stories don’t actually feel very good for people of color. In fact, you might take the role of a “white savior” and believe that you’re helping, but there’s a good chance that you got that idea from some pretty messed up portrayals in the media.

So find out where encouragement of white saviorhood comes from – so that you can recognize when it’s happening, why it’s harmful, and how to avoid being part of the problem.

With Love,
The Editors at Everyday Feminism

 

 

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Celia Edell is a Contributing Vlogger for Everyday Feminism, a freelance writer, and feminist philosopher. She holds a Masters degree in Philosophy from the University of Sheffield in England and is currently doing her PhD in Philosophy at McGill University in Montreal. Her interests include critical race theory, mental health awareness, and bad made-for-TV movies. She tweets and blogs under the name @ceedling