The Myth of the White Man’s Supremacy over the African Americans through the White Savior Trope

Abstract

The legacy of imperialism has cast its shadow on the movie industry in the form of white supremacy; a notion that operates through trope. The White Savior trope; a cinematic genre that based fully on the white perspective in depicting the true stories of African-Americans, Asians, Native and others, in a form of stereotypes. The White Savior trope also perpetuates colorblindness which, insinuates that racial issues are something from the past. This research deals with the White Savior trope, and the subtle messages that it insinuates, through the characteristics of the storytelling of the genre. In addition, the genre perpetuates white supremacy over the African Americans, portraying the non-whites characters as helpless, needy and requiring the assistance of the whites to succeed. The research also will take a closer look in the implicit messages to fully understand whether these subtle messages, elevate the trope to be recognized as a modern racism tool or not. Furthermore, the research explores the future of this cinematic trope, whether the trope has already reached its peak, or it is receiving less attention which means that the White Savior trope will disappear one day.