“Sarah, Elizabeth, and John weren’t bigots though. Theirs, however, was a kind of dangerous discourse of a perverted liberalism. Vocabularies of fear and victimization, of vilification and social superiority have long allowed privileged onlookers such as Sarah, Elizabeth, and John to deputize themselves as unwanted saviors who crusade in the situation of misunderstood peoples” (Kirkland, 2014, p.591)

This quote reminded me of the “white savior” complex, which is a far too common perspective held by mainly American individuals who have been exposed (through media outlets, controversial portrayals represented by Hollywood, etc.) to images and stereotypes of the “other”, or someone who looks different and comes from a different cultural background, perceived as less sophisticated and backward thinking. The “white savior” complex can be seen among service project groups going to “third world countries” (which, in and of itself, holds a stigma related to suffering and deprivation), who believe that, with the right implementation of direction commonly practiced in their own country or hometown and grounded in their own cultural beliefs, can help these people follow a more sophisticated path to being “saved.” This then results in service project groups being sent out to “impoverished” areas around the world to provide academic, medical or emotional care to individuals based on their own, usually western, cultural perspectives, keeping in mind little to no knowledge or need to learn from the culture of the people who form the society being penetrated. Yet, this fulfills the sense of “feeling good about oneself” and accomplishment that is far too common among Americans involved in such social projects, especially those who make up the middle and higher classes.

This “white” or “American savior” complex reflected by Kirkland’s student teacher participants greatly affects their misplaced understanding of learning to serve. As a result, the student teachers distance themselves from the students, focusing only on their own biases.

As teachers, seeing ourselves as “saviors” or people who will “fix” their students is not and should never be a consideration. Our role is to serve as resources and support for our students who are on their way to reach their full potential. Our job is to respect our students and not enter any situation with preconceived notions about them and how they may behave due to their appearance, their socioeconomic background or where they may come from. Both teachers and students should be learning from each other, and teachers should foster an environment of cultural understanding and acceptance, which in turn will hopefully result in a more inclusive, successful and productive learning environment.