The Blind Side: The "White Savior" Mother
T he "white savior" figure is characterized as a white person who believes they are a great aid to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. A white TV character who is viewed as non-racist or even "woke" is defined as having knowledge, understanding, or even consciousness of racial injustices or tensions. White people have already co-opted the term "woke" to characterize white characters on television and turned it into a safety net or safety pin. It's become a white character's self-identity and a personality attribute to stand out during racial tensions. The "white savior" keeps a controlled society steady and maintains white supremacist ideals and conceptions. To do so, the "white savior" character must be recognized as privileged. This character reinforces this idea by marginalizing all other characters and their experiences, particularly those of people of color. The "white savior" persona usually proves ...