Spotlight on: Only Human
I’d love for my friends to check out Only Human. The heart of their mission is so important. I relate to Bree in her post below. This is what I’d like to say about White Savior complex: When you have “more” than the people around you, or you recognize that your life looks easier/better than another’s, then often we respond by wanting others to have what we have. I think the concept behind it is correct… Recognizing that there’s a difference & that it shouldn’t be that way … But it’s very difficult to stand in OUR space and understand what it is that causes their lives to be different. Often we make assumptions that those differences are bad, or that the individuals want what we have. Often we assume that our ways would be the solution. I believe that it is very important to lose the ego and approach those differences with curiosity and a desire to understand.
Building relationships with others who are not like us broadens our perspective. By broadening our perspective we become smarter and more knowledgeable, and we are able to utilize empathy. But if we don’t make those connections in a humble way without assuming that we have the answers already, we cannot be in a position to make change. Also, ... & this is KEY!! - I think that it’s more important for us to do the above with the purpose of figuring out what we can change within our OWN subculture. How can we change the way that privileged white people see and understand people who are different than them? What can we change on our end to make things easier for people around us. It’s more important for us to work on OUR camp, than to try to go into others’ and change the way that THEY live. These are concepts that I was not familiar with growing up. The white savior complex is real. It needs to be addressed, and until we do we won’t be able to impact the change we are honestly hoping for. See people to know people. Know people to understand them. Understand them so that YOU can change to be a better friend/neighbor to them. You are in charge of you. I am in charge of me. Taking responsibility for ourselves is how we grow into better citizens of our communities, our cities, our states, our country, & our world. The right way for you is not the right way for everyone. Period.
Bree’s Post:
White Savior Complex • Let’s get honest about some hard truths about the privilege I was born with. I’m a white female who grew up in a mid/upper class world. I never needed for anything and often times wanted for more than I needed. Over these last 5 years the amount of awareness and growth I’ve gone through has led me down a path of helping communities that I was once served by. I have had to check my white savior complex so many times in entering this work. I’ve gotten it wrong so many times, I’ve said the wrong thing, or could have shown more grace for others.
I started going down to Rocky Point, Mexico in high school. I was young and stayed in the confines of the white sandy beaches, swim up bars, and other tourists who kept me comfortable because they spoke my language. Never once did I think about the humans who were serving me and where they lived. I learned from those around me that you lock up money and expensive possessions because cleaners can’t be trusted. I’ve been in vehicles with drunken adults who got to push the limits in a country they had a false sense of security in. I’ve heard slander of the locals in ways that didn’t even feel like that in the moment. Why? Because I didn’t know better. I couldn’t. I wasn’t being taught about their culture. I was being programmed within my own whiteness. Within my own privilege.
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White Savior Complex: the self-serving assumption among white people from developed nations that they should be saving poor people.
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Learning my way out of deeply internalized White Saviorism, and committing myself to always dismantling these notions, is an ongoing process.
But here I am continuing the work. Both internally and reflected in the ways I can provide support in these countries that puts their community at the forefront and sets up systems that can exist and thrive when we leave.
Our next trip will include a lot of unpacking of this savior complex and talking about how we can provide support while always confronting our power and position within the societies we are working in.
Love,
@breepear
Founder, Only Human