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 think many of them would be blown away because they’ve been fed a distorted caricature of feminism and racial justice as based in man-hating and white guilt.

From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2024

“It’s about the West and the East and this idea of wealth disparity and white guilt in connection to Georgia,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2024

“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

He recalled having to lead classes where he suppressed his own rage and trauma while making space for the emotions of his students, mostly their white guilt.

From New York Times ● Feb. 12, 2022

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