white guilt

American  

[hwahyt gilt, wahyt] / ˈʰwaɪt ˌgɪlt, ˈwaɪt /

noun

1. the feelings of shame and remorse some white people experience when they recognize the legacy of racism and racial injustice and perceive the ways they have benefited from it.

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Etymology

Origin of white guilt

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

white guilt

“I told her white guilt is showing up in all this leniency,” Hughes, who is Black, told The Oregonian/OregonLive in an interview last week.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 15, 2023

The comedian and actor’s latest collection touches on white guilt and fake allyship, not wanting kids, dating and mental health.

From New York Times ● Sep. 29, 2021

The triumph of "Reservation Dogs" is that it subverts the long history of exclusively depressing storytelling about Natives, often written by creators and writers plagued by white guilt.

From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2021

“I think there is a lot of white guilt right now,” Jackson said, explaining why donations suddenly took off.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2020

Both are annoying in their own special way, but the latter motivation grates in particular, because neither white guilt nor self-flagellation are ultimately very productive.

From Slate ● Apr. 2, 2019