A History of the White Savior Narrative in Film

Continued from page 16

Collins Show. The film seems to make amends by bringing a Black character to the center of the narrative: at the end of the film, Seaweed’s younger sister Lil Inez (Taylor Parks) wins the Miss Hairspray Beauty pageant. Yet, she was only featured in that position because Tracy intervened by breaking into the competition. Tracy dominates the narrative, from using dance moves stolen from Black characters, to violently inserting herself into a peaceful protest march, causing a large number of Black characters to be detained because of her mistake.

Of course there are a number of white savior films that I did not discuss, such as 2009’s “Avatar,” a film where Jake Sully, a white man is the chosen savior for an indigenous race people (the movie recent- ly received a high-budget sequel that doesn’t fare much better). The enduring question that stems from these films is: why does Hollywood constantly need a white savior to tell the story of characters of color? And why has the film industry decided that people of color are incapable of leading their own stories? This is especially detrimental to the young audiences of color. What Hollywood communicates to them is that in order to have power over their own lives, they need the influence, help, — and perhaps control — of a white person. If a film truly wants to explore and discuss racial injustices and how the characters of color can overcome them, then the presence of a white savior is not needed. In fact, it is a injustice. Without a white savior at the head, these stories can be told more accurately and inclusively.