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freeimaginationjournal-blog · 8 years ago

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White Savior Complex and White Privilege by Jessie Johnson

Peggy McIntosh, a feminist and anti-racism activist, indicated that “whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege.” This is a major reality of our society and the manner in which race relations are presented. I strongly agree with the assertion that whites are privileged, ignorant to these privileges, and therefore perpetuating their privileges. When this occurs, racial injustice is in effect maintained as well. A major icon of this phenomenon appears in the industry of the white savior complex. By suggesting that advantaged white people are helping black people by offering a non-committal “helping hand”, the true requirements for change in social injustice are ignored.

I came across a recent example in the media of white people using their advantaged voices to speak what is their idea of protection into a black community. In January of this year, a white clergy in Florida promoted a new hashtag, “#UseMeInstead”, to tell the Florida police department to stop using mugshots of young black men in their target practice. On the surface, this may not appear to have any reason to spark discomfort, “but it’s fallen into a ‘white savior’ narrative that these white clergy have come to the aid of these helpless black people.” (Kuruvilla). I believe that these white clergy members are acting out of genial intentions, but also from a naïve and ignorant stance; their ability to “take a stand” against the implied racism in the routine of target practice is yet an example of their delight in the comfortable and safe white privilege that is theirs. If a black male were to approach this example of racism and express his discomfort in the police department’s target practice rituals, one can imagine the unfortunate possible outcomes, especially given the prevalence of police brutality that stems from white fear in our society. However, as a white clergy member, there is no fear to be had when making this feeble attempt at undermining racism; rather, there is a great deal of room for self-satisfaction. The danger in this attitude lies in the mentality that “we have to save them because they can��t save themselves” (Cole). This mindset that black communities are helpless and in need of white saviors will only leave room for more white privilege, and more unjust race relations.

This idea of a white savior is adored and encouraged by Hollywood; the best, and most often offered, kind of hero is a masculine and white male. As suggested in the clever title of the article, “Does My Hero Look White in This: Hollywood’s White Saviour Complex” in The Artifice, Hollywood benefits from the naivety of society that applauses white people for their assistance in black communities. This admiration for a white savior creates an assumption that whites are actively fighting against racism, and lends to the widely spreading false notion that racism is merely a “thing of the past.” Although in some instances it is true that white people are actively fighting against racism and white privilege, it is not happening with the intensity that any true change requires. White people must move past ignorance and into the commitment it takes to fight against racism, but it must be acknowledged that white privilege only nurtures the existing social injustices.

A major success in Hollywood occurred in 2009 when The Blind Side made its cinema debut. Although this true story has heartwarming and inspiring moments, I feel that the movie depicted Micheal Oher as incompetent, unintelligent, helpless, and doomed for disaster without the grace of a white savior. I found interest in learning more about Lee Anne Tuohy, the white woman who offers Oher her home, and I came across an article titled, “Leigh Anne Tuohy, Racism, and the White Savior Complex.” This article described an instance in which Tuohy was eating at a diner with her friend who noticed two young black males “hunched over” in their booth. Regarding these two young men, Tuohy’s friend stated, “I bet they are up to no good.” Tuohy explains how she then approached the young men, and learned that they were simply texting friends making plans to go to a basketball game. After this encounter, Tuohy found it appropriate to Instagram a photo with her new “friends” and proudly reminded us of the good old sentiment, “Don’t judge a book by its cover!” The problem with not exploring Tuohy’s bold approach to these teenagers is that one may miss the problematic meaning and reasoning behind her actions and statements. The author of this article alludes to the meaning behind Tuohy’s reminder not to judge a book by the cover; “It begins with the assumption that the “cover” tells you something unappealing about the contents of the book or person” (Leigh Anne Tuohy, Racism, and the White Saviour Complex). If these two teens were white, would Tuohy have jumped on the opportunity to be a “savior?” I find it very unlikely that Tuohy approached the two young men in order to combat the racism of her friend; if her intentions were to influence her friends prejudiced mindset, then could she not have found a better way that did not involve intruding on the personal space of the boys? It seems likely to me that Tuohy did assume the teens were indeed “up to no good,” and she could therefore bestow her white wisdom on them and spark a desire to change their troublesome ways.

Why is our culture set up this way? Where does white prejudice receive its nurturance and reap the most rewards? I believe that one basis of this idea stems from religion. For example, the images of Jesus Christ, Christianity’s icon of achieving salvation, often display an unlikely portrayal of a Caucasian male with flowing fine hair and the purest of blue eyes. I have yet to meet a Middle Eastern who displays these physical characteristics. The Mormon religion may make the most blatant religious claims; Joseph Smith, a prophet in this faith, states:

There is a reason why one man is born black and with other disadvantages, while another is born white with great advantages. The reason is that we once had an estate before we came here, and were obedient, more or less, to the laws that were given us there. Those who were faithful in all things there received greater blessings here, and those who were not faithful received less...There were no neutrals in the war in heaven. All took sides with either Christ or with Satan. Every man had his agency there, and men receive rewards here based upon their actions there...The Negro, evidently, is receiving the reward he merits" (Doctrines of Salvation published 1954,1:61,65,66).

I find this claim to be a flagrant example of the disgusting tendency in human nature for groupthink and brainwashing. This dangerous phenomenon only adds to the perpetuation of white privilege and the devaluation of black bodies. Contributing to the white savior complex, this religious claim is followed up with “hope” for those born “black and with other disadvantages”; if one finds true faith in the proudly white prophet of Mormonism, their blackness will slowly be taken away through the generations and whiteness will be achieved. It is a rampant and deceitful, yet accepted, notion that black skin is attributed to an affiliation with Satan, but meanwhile it is ignored and denied that white privilege is completely unmerited. The idea that black people receive the reward their skin color merits contrasts with Peggy McIntosh’s definition of white privilege; “I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets which I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was ‘meant’ to remain oblivious” (McIntosh). This statement convicts me of my own oblivion; I have not given enough thought regarding what it means in my own life to be handed privileges because of my skin color. I have also not given enough thought to how I can refuse these privileges in a way that sparks actual change.

I have, however, felt great discomfort when I reminisce on my past “volunteer” experiences. In high school, I made many trips that spanned from a weekend to a week into the North Side of Pittsburgh, where I would volunteer with The Pittsburgh Project. This foundation does offer a permanent presence in a poverty stricken neighborhood, but as for my involvement, I merely hopped on a bus with thirty other white members of my church, and formed a short term relationship with homeowners on the North Side. I was met with the pained statements of little girls such as “I wish my hair was as soft as yours”, and “Why can’t I have your skin?” I wished that I could use a megaphone and tell every African-American child that their beauty is just as real as anyone else’s, but what actual change would that trigger? What was my short presence in their lives telling them… that change and progress can only come in the form of a white savior?

What is it exactly that causes white people to look into black lives and feel the urge to bring salvation? The U.S. Consensus Bureau released data regarding the financial situations in White, Black, and Latino communities. Poverty rates described by race show that 27.2% of black communities are in poverty, versus the 9.7% of white communities that face poverty. The same statistics tell us that the median household income in a white family is $123,300 whereas the median household income for a black family is $15,600. I believe that our culture has made it extremely difficult for African-Americans to find a way out of poverty, and rather than fighting for a change in our system, white folk would rather offer a non-committal form of help by extending their whiteness; “Whites are taught to think of their lives as morally neutral; normative, and average, and also ideal, so that when we work to benefit others, this is seen as work which will allow “them” to be more like ‘us’” (McIntosh). This reluctance to cause real change allows our society to blame black poverty on black culture rather than American culture and economics as a whole. This has always been easy for white people to do; Carl Von Linneas, father of taxonomy, said that the “Africanus” variety of Humans contained the “phlegmatic”, “lazy”, and “sluggish” humors, which bare responsibility and explanation for the caprice and unpredictable nature he attributed to African Americans.

I believe that the white savior complex has become a major industry in our society. If the notion that black people are helpless without white interference is not analyzed for the inherent racism it perpetuates, white privilege will continue to thrive as well as racial injustice. “Such ‘privilege’ may be widely desired without being in any way beneficial to whole society” (McIntosh). As Peggy McIntosh so accurately suggests, this complex should cease to be seen as desirable and beneficial for any and all parts of society.

References

Cole, T. (2012, September 1). The White- Savior Industrial Complex. The Atlantic.

Kingsle, K. (n.d.). Does My Hero Look White In This: Hollywood's White Saviour Complex.The Artifice.

Kuruvilla, C. (2015, January 26). White Clergy Spark Debate By Telling Cops #UseMeInstead for Target Shooting Practice. The Huffington Post.

Leigh Anne Tuohy, Racism, and the White Saviour Complex. (n.d.).DemocraticUnderground.com.

McIntosh, P. (n.d.). White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences through Work in Women’s Studies.

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freeimaginationjournal-blog · 8 years ago

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Achievement comes from the ability to focus on what needs to be done now, while visualizing what will already happen.

Isaiah Noreiga

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freeimaginationjournal-blog · 8 years ago

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To not be

To be or not to be, that is not the question. The question at hand is a question of whether or not one is prepared to become. The moment before our eyes close our mind takes us to a journey of its own. Our bodies collapse and begins to unfold. Nothing is really near or true Yet when we wake we find ourselves even more confused Confused and at odds At odds with becoming Becoming at the very least what our mind think is best Becoming at the very best what it is we expect We beg and we cry for one more night One more time Back to the moment before our eyes closed

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freeimaginationjournal-blog · 8 years ago

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#draft

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freeimaginationjournal-blog · 8 years ago

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#philosophers on race

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freeimaginationjournal-blog · 8 years ago

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#white privilege #white supremacy #white people #racism #race

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freeimaginationjournal-blog · 8 years ago

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Seeking Love by Ventura Simmons

Do you see the love because I don’t, and nor do I feel it. I know it’s there and I know we can find it

Do you see the love because I don’t, and nor do I feel it. Why can’t we feel proud to walk up to a fellow man or women give them a hug and tell “damn, it is a great day to be alive ain’t it?” We just don’t have that in this country. We hear stories of people rushing into burning buildings or jumping on to train tracks to randomly save the life of another human being, and I mean I guess that is love, but where is the everyday, long-lasting, consistent love for one another?

Can you look back and say that everyday within the past few weeks that you thought about the wellbeing of someone you did not know just because they were a human being, or that you went out of your way to show someone that you care about them just because they are a human being? I know I can’t. You see I believe that in this advanced, driven, goal-oriented, and individualistic society we have found ourselves in we have forgotten. We have forgotten what it means to be human, and what it means to be apart of the human race. We are fragile, vulnerable, needy (and don’t act like you do not need anything because you do), and ultimately impermanent. We all rise and we all fall, but why is it that between these things we lose sight of the one thing that holds us all together, love?

I try my best to love everyday, but I and many others are imperfect so we have our failures, but it seems like as a race, a human race, we aren’t even trying anymore. The hate speech, the put downs, the discrimination, the restriction to allow people to live their lives how they want to, what does it matter? What does it really matter when we cannot value the lives of others simply because they are different than us? And what does it say about what we have become?

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freeimaginationjournal-blog · 8 years ago

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My America by Summerly Kelly

The western scientific worldview is a beautiful thing. It has taken us to the moon, found multiple cures for what used to be viewed as incurable illnesses, allowed us to reach people from all over the world through social media platforms, and gosh am I thankful for electricity clean water. However, there are certain experiences which we are taught, growing up in this worldview, to cast aside as meaningless. These are the experiences which science cannot explain. For example, have you ever lost someone close to you? After somebody dies there seems to be a repeated and concrete human experience of feeling as if that person is still around you. You might dream about them or get a whiff of their perfume someday coming seemingly from nowhere. My mom always says that she can sense the presence of her father when she’s driving around in the car during a stormy day and she knows that she is safe. I once listened to my mom explain this experience to a friend and then follow it by saying, “but of course I know I just think this way because it’s a coping mechanism to make me feel better,” and then shrug it off as if it didn’t even matter. Like sensing the presence of her father long after he died wasn’t a beautiful and profound experience which should be payed attention to. It broke my heart. I still feel my grandma everywhere around me. If I close my eyes and think back to when I was a child, I can feel myself resting my head against her collarbone trying to fall asleep. I look down at my arms and see goosebumps as I vividly reimagine her fingers running up and down my back, tracing little patterns against my skin, coaxing me to relax. I can smell her apartment. The smell is so distinct that I can’t even find words to describe it. The mix of her lotion, the faint menthol of her cigarette smoke, and the mouthwatering meatballs and marinara she would spend hours cooking for me and my family in her tiny kitchen…I have never smelled anything like that anywhere else. Yet, as I sit here typing it out I swear I can smell it in the air. It’s like she hasn’t been dead for six years and the smell never left my nose. I am in her apartment, in her arms, right at this very moment. She is here with me, I know she is. This experience is real and it’s beautiful so why should I dismiss it as nothing more than a coping mechanism or a way to come to terms with her death? I feel my Meme every day. I often feel like I see her out of the corner of my eye when I’m just walking along the streets of my city.

Today in my cross cultural psychology class we learned about animism. This is a belief system which sees everything in the world as being sentient. This just means that everything around us has sensation and awareness. This includes both animate and inanimate things. There are also both human and nature spirits which exist all around us. Within the living, there are two types of entities which are your inner and outer being. Once you die, your inner spirit is still around, it has just left your body. Death isn’t seen as an end, it is seen as a transition. The people who have not made this transition purposefully do things which they know would make the spirits who have transitioned happy. They make altars for them and put out their favorite foods or speak to them as if they are still around. Such traditions may seem outdated to us, but this is something which is still heavily practiced in Japan, a completely industrialized and highly technologically sophisticated society. Animistic societies share the same experience of loss as we do, they just find an explanation for it. One that I believe is both beautiful and perfectly sensible.

I think that we as Americans hold onto this scientific worldview because it’s comforting. It makes it feel as though everything is within our control and allows us to make sense of the world in a very concrete way. We can boil everything down to atoms and molecules and suddenly things become more palatable. Even emotions have become nothing more than chemicals in our brains reacting to different stimulus. I am by no means shitting on Science. As previously stated, it has brought us great things and wonderful discoveries which have aided in our evolutionary progression. However, it takes away so much of the beautiful and inexplicable aspects of being human. Why dismiss what we can’t explain? Experiences like the loss of a loved one are what help make us who we are. We don’t have to cast spirituality aside completely in order to feel safer in our environment. Believe what you will, I just know that much can be gained from finding comfort and giving value to experiences that cannot be simplified to just chemicals and equations.

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freeimaginationjournal-blog · 8 years ago

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Artistry of Human Development

There is, in most cases, always an exception to the rule. One exception that has become clear to mankind is the importance the artist brings to human life and development. As an artist she has an obligation to take on the imagination of the individual masses. As an artist, she holds in the midst, a great responsibility to express, embrace, and celebrate the ongoing conflict that resides in all humans. However, this divine task can only be carried out by freeing herself from the destruction of perennial servitude. To visualize the process of what I am speaking about, one must realize that it can only be understood by the artist herself. The artist, through continual pressures on herself radiates the experience of what is most true, so that it may, in return; provide the individual masses with a certain reality that is often ambiguous or unspoken in one’s daily life. The artist also has obtained the ability be in touch with her soul without conscious regard of what is to be expected or what is considered normal.

The understanding of human life is an exploration of the human mind and soul. In a world that has been filled with significant explanations of our humanity, there is still an existential need for more meaningful truth. The reason for this cannot be put in simple terms but rather in the context of each individual’s desire to remember their purpose, who they are, and the unearthing of what they are composed of. This can be best understood metaphorically. For instance, if I were to give you a deck of cards and ask you to tell me what each card means it would be a difficult task. You would not know where to begin but perhaps, let us say, that you state the numerical value of each card because that is clearly a logical based answer. However, depending on each card game, which there are many, the numerical value may shift or become less or more significant during the gameplay. So if I were to ask again “tell me what each card means” what would you say? The same applies to the state of the human because the human is unable to make sense of his infinite ideas, thoughts, feelings, dreams, and abilities; without relating, comparing, and referring such faculties to a meaningful context. Thereby the use of logical facts to guide one’s assumptions not only cases pain, it also never captures the full picture of a person’s existence. Rather, we must [re]position ourselves beyond just arbitrary terms and descriptions and allow ourselves to be fully alive each other’s each lives.

The artist must bear the responsibility to share this with the world. She must stay true to this work for it is necessary. She must foster this attitude and be the one who tell the whole story, leaving nothing out so that the people may remember what has be done.

*The Artistry of Human Development is in us all but of course there will never come a day that we create such a beautiful masterpiece.

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