Checking Our White "Savior Complex"

In the scramble to send personnel and resources to Haiti, it is important to critically analyze any and all overtones of the privileged "saving" the underprivileged, of the white/Western/wealthy/compassionate nation "rescuing" the non-white/non-American/developing/portrayed-as-self-looting nation---whether those overtones are present in the media or in our own thinking.

This self-critique is particularly important in regards to the children of Haiti. A statement was recently published by a coalition of adoptees of color, Statement on Haiti, emphasizing the need to avoid compounding a Haitian child's trauma by removing him/her from all that is familiar and beloved, and encouraging caution against the assumption that Haiti cannot care for (parent) her own children.

There are ways to help. But we risk repeating the severe mistakes of white American/European imperialism when we rush to rescue without minding our motives.

Blog Recommendation

SCOR community:

If you haven't already found the Anti-Racist Parent blog, I highly recommend it (regardless of your parenting status). This recent post, "How to be an anti-racist ally," keeps the important basics of how to be a white anti-racist ally before us in the ongoing Sacred Conversation on Race for Penn Central Conference.

Just a reminder that our next SCOR meeting is scheduled for this coming Thursday, January 7, at 9:30am in Harrisburg at our Penn Central Conference offices.

Blessings in 2010!