Mentoring Partnership holding 'Combatting White Saviorism' training

Sophia Duck, training and engagement manager at The Mentoring Partnership, remembers seeing “The Green Book.” The movie is about a Black pianist who had a white chauffeur to accompany him through the Deep South in the early 1960s, using a guide for Black people.

The book allowed them to have access to places that would welcome them throughout the journey. One scene, in particular, did not sit well with Duck — she recalled that the chauffeur was teaching the musician how to properly eat chicken.

She remembers later seeing that the family of the musician did not agree to the film because of those instances. Duck points to narratives like this and others like the movie “Avatar” and the TV show “New Amsterdam” depicting white saviorism.

“There’s a lot of moments where I just said, ‘Wait a minute here,’ ” she said. “Are you trying to change people or learn about who they are and what they can do with your support?”

Less than a month after MLK Day, and with Black History Month in full swing and Women’s History Month following just behind, there are many opportunities for service and giving back. Those who are heavily involved in these areas want to make sure service is being done through the lens of collaborative purpose, taking down the ideas associated with white saviorism.

The Mentoring Partnership defines white saviorism as the idea in which a white person or a white culture rescues people of color. The nonprofit is an intermediary organization that works with various mentoring programs that serve local youth and supports the programs by facilitating training and technical assistance. Many of the mentoring programs and organizations might not have the capacities or enough staff to offer training on their own.

One of the trainings coming up is the “Combatting White Saviorism” training, which will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 13. The training is free and will take place virtually.

“White saviorism is harmful because it still displaces Black and Indigenous people from the center of the freedom and self-determination struggle, and the narration of their own lives,” said Elon Dancy, executive director for the Center of Urban Education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education. “Usually white saviorism looks like superiority of white knowledge and white leadership. It still tends to emphasize through a white superior intellect.”

He said that can erase a Black knowledge of communalism, and then a struggle toward freedom happens.

“When we deliver this training, we really focus on people of color as a whole, so all Black, Indigenous people of color,” Duck said.

The training addresses how white saviorism shows up in mentoring relationships, real life and internationally.

“Historically, harm has been done to Black people and it is continued in thinking that Black people or the way people of color do things is deemed as wrong — and that is not healthy for anybody of color,” Duck said.

It is not wrong to want to give back, but concerns come into play when there’s an idea of fixing something or someone, Duck said.

“I think it is healthy to journey alongside someone, wanting to work with them and learn what they are doing and then collaborating on a way to help achieve a goal or what that culture may need,” she said. “But coming in and deciding this is how we are going to do it and then just taking a cookie cutter approach and saying, ‘Now this works. You all are going to be great.’ — that’s not a great way to approach service.”

For Dancy, combatting white saviorism or causing less harm has to do with studying and learning.

“There are things we think we know about the world and freedom, but when we read and study with others, we realize that we don’t always know what we think we know,” he said.

This is not only for people who identify as white, Dancy clarified, but also for all people who understand whiteness as the superior logic, that knowledge of Black and Indigenous people must also be studied.

“That knowledge often articulates and redefines what service looks like, that helps shift service from something that Black people need in terms of charity to the change we would need in terms of policy,” Dancy said.

In January, the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh addressed the idea of dismantling the white savior complex through its monthly Action Conversations on Race. uther King Jr. A community based on the elimination of hunger, poverty, bigotry and violence, through caring and compassionate driven policies.

“White savior complex is the manifestation of white supremacy,” Adale Sholock, community engagement manager of the Center for Race and Gender Equality at YWCA Greater Pittsburgh, said during the session.

Garrett-Doege, senior minister at Smithfield United Church of Christ who identifies as a Black queer person, often talks about the topic in her sermons. She said for a person to see themselves reflected and uplifted is crucial — for some, that means they need to become their own heroes.

“Everyone loves to give and giving is so important, but charity and justice are not the same thing,” Garrett-Doege said.

She said often in predominantly white spaces there is a misconception that people are being saved, and that is not the case. In her sermons, Garrett-Doege often emphasizes that charity is great but that can only go so far. “You have to be willing to get involved, to know the person, to know their life, what do they need and how can you walk alongside them,” she said.

There is also an element of learning from one another.

“We walk in a space assuming we are the experts on everything, and we are just not,” Garrett-Doege said. “I am an expert on being me and operating in my world, I can’t assume that the way I do things is right in another space. That is often what happens in dealing with this idea of white saviorism, specifically in the space of mission and charity work.”

In regards to dismantling white saviorism, it is important to acknowledge the personhood and agency of an individual, Garrett-Doege said, and understand that there is not one singular way of expressing and doing things.

Lizzie Anderson took a sabbatical from activist work so she could reattune, she said.

Anderson has a background in clinical social work and works as a community and professional therapist.

“We all need a justice-based lens as a guide for our work in the community,” she said. “We are not just trying to help people, we are trying to achieve something together and we want our work to be guided by that practice.”

Anderson said the goal is not to numb out or tune out those with more access and privileges.

“Especially a white person, especially me, it’s to feel more in relationship with people and be connected,” she said.

Duck said, “Our goal is not to lessen the impact of the uncomfortableness. Having uncomfortable conversations is what allows for growth,” Duck said.

The next Action Conversation on Race will take place on Feb. 21 and will focus on mutual aid.