white savior

American  

[wahyt sayv-yer] / ˈwaɪt ˈseɪv yər /

noun

1. a white person who acts to help people of color in a way that creates a narrative, whether intentional or not, suggesting that the people being helped are unable to deal with their own circumstances without such intervention.

---

Sensitive Note

The term white savior is often used in discussions of culture and society to describe actions or narratives that suggest marginalized groups lack the agency to solve their own problems. Such portrayals may center the white individual's role or personal growth rather than the experiences of those being helped. In this way, the term can also point to patterns that reinforce stereotypes related to competence and power while minimizing the perspectives of those from racial and ethnic minority communities.

Other Word Forms

• white saviorism noun
• white-savior adjective

Example Sentences

I can tell you which of those movies I’d rather watch again, and it’s not the one where she plays a white savior mother with an addiction to hairspray.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026

As an intellectual dismantling of white savior narratives, “Devotion” is smartly done; as an enjoyable heartwarmer to watch with your uncle, it’s stiff when it should soar.

From New York Times • Nov. 23, 2022

You could easily see how, with another director, “Devotion” might succumb to the white savior trope or become a how-to for solving racism in 138 minutes or less.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2022

“The idea of replacing Clark Kent with another straight white savior felt like a missed opportunity,” series author Tom Taylor told the New York Times in an interview last year.

From Washington Times • Oct. 13, 2022

"It's our story. There is no white savior in the movie. There's none. We save ourselves," she told Reuters.

From Reuters • Sep. 15, 2022