Hollywood’s white savior complex misdirects the focus

JOSELIN AGUILAR GRAMAJO, Asst. News Editor—

The defining characteristic of the white savior complex is the portrayal of white people as doing people of color a great service by helping them, specifically people of color who are low income. Examples of films that contribute to the worsening of this issue include The Help, The Soloist, Hidden Figures, Remember the Titans, The Blind Side, and Freedom Writers. 

Those are just a few from the top of my head – the list goes on. White saviorism plays a big role in Hollywood; some might say it’s because people have white guilt and feel like they’re somehow helping when watching those movies. 

Maybe white people feel inspired to do something like the characters in movies do. But even then, the portrayal of the white savior complex in pop culture has become a phenomena that negatively affects people of color in many ways. 

For instance, white saviorism in modern film pushes the narrative that people of color are in need of help just because they are people of color. White saviorism accentuates the idea that people of color can’t live a good life or accomplish anything without a white person helping them. 

When white people watch white saviorism in action in movies, they go out into the world believing that that is how they should act toward people of color, that people of color are in constant need of their help. 

White saviors contribute to the erasure and lowering of people of color’s voices. They make white people feel that it’s okay to talk over people of color, and that they know what is best for them. 

In reality, people of color are perfectly capable of speaking for themselves, and would greatly benefit and appreciate being able to share their own stories, rather than have to hear someone else speak about problems and issues that they have never and will never face in their life. 

White saviors are ingrained in many outlets, from our media to the classroom, and need to stop being romanticized and seen as if they are doing something great. Instead, let the people who experience these issues talk about them. When white people talk over people of color’s voices on topics such as racism and their experiences, they are not only hurting that person as an individual, they are contributing to the idea that white people should be at the forefront of these conversations instead of people of color.