Blindsided by the Avatar: White Saviors and Allies out of Hollywood and in Education

Autor/in	Cammarota, Julio
Titel	Blindsided by the Avatar: White Saviors and Allies out of Hollywood and in Education
Quelle	In: Review of Education, Pedagogy & Cultural Studies, 33 (2011) 3, S.242-259 (18 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1071-4413
Schlagwörter	Stellungnahme; High School Students; Social Justice; Films; Classification; Criticism; Whites; Females; African Americans; Social Status; Power Structure; Empowerment; Self Esteem; Indigenous Populations; Disadvantaged; Educational Change; Social Environment; Leadership; Arizona + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? High school; High schools; Student; Students; Oberschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Soziale Gerechtigkeit; Film; Classification system; Klassifikation; Klassifikationssystem; Kritik; White; Weißer; Weibliches Geschlecht; Afroamerikaner; Sozialer Status; Self-esteem; Selbstaufmerksamkeit; Sinti und Roma; Bildungsreform; Soziales Umfeld; Führung; Führungsposition
Abstract	This article discusses how the white savior syndrome renders the misrepresentation of the potential of people of color to resist and lead the transformation of oppressive conditions within their own social context. Indigenous resistance requires endogenous (internal) leadership such that all social justice actions derive from and continue to flow through communities of color and their leaders. White saviors represented in popular media overshadow the fact that people of color are part of and, most importantly, make history. In the school context, the author discusses Ruby Payne's (2005) work to underscore pseudo-educational approaches that avoid building leadership in communities of color while continuing to label them as deficient. This negligence results from the impact of racism shaping the worldview of the savior. Acceptance of Payne's approach depends upon internalized racism influencing the perspective of the "saved." In contrast, the author examines the virtues of white allies and how they can help promote leadership among people of color by challenging the privileges that provide them with superior social status and legitimacy. The article concludes with a discussion of how racial justice can occur with the oppressed in leadership positions and the oppressor adhering to and following this leadership. The existence of white saviors may help some people of color but it will not result in long-term systematic change. White allies can contribute to systematic change by abdicating both privileges and superior status while cultivating leadership within communities of color and relations of mutuality and respect. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10