This is white privilege right? It's not just me?

[nadine_mn]

I have pretty much isolated myself from the world (depression) so I don't have any friends or acquaintances to ask for feedback, which is why I am posting here - I hope that's ok.

So I belong to a bunch of "progressive" facebook groups and this video popped up and everyone was falling over themselves on what an amazing guy this person was. And all I kept thinking was "this is a bunch of condescending crap"

https://www.facebook.com/noticie/videos/1359513527434631/


oh for those who don't want to click on an outside link I will try to sum it up without swearing:

It is about an Argentinian man named Pedro Opeka who became a priest, traveled to Madagascar and "saved half a million people from poverty".

Ok so technically he is not "white" but he is pretty light skinned, has a beard and as a nice touch was a carpenter (oops learned construction from his father). He saw how poor the people of Madagascar were and decided at age 20 something to stay and save them. The video goes on to show him surrounded by young African children as he smiles and walks with them. The video ends with him talking about he wanted to show them how hard work made everything possible and social assistance made the poor people of Madagascar feel hopeless.

It just reeks to me of the trope of how one white man can save people of color. There was no mention of the hard work the people themselves did, or how they grew up in an environment of disease, malnutrition and lack of education so they didn't start off on the same footing or have the same advantages maybe?

I am part Hispanic and a lot Scandinavian and I showed this to my husband and he just right away said oh what a nice story. And I said wait - don't you see how it is framed as a story of one white man, not of half a million Africans?

I get the idea behind it - how one person can make a difference, but all I see is a repeat of those Feed the Children commercials with Sally Struthers and naked African kids covered in flies.

Am I seeing reading too much into this? Like I said, I'm pretty isolated (no work/few friends/ mainly just me, my dogs and my husband) so maybe I need to just step away from the internet for awhile because I am really upset.


Edited to add: I am not at all trying to take away from the work Pedro Opeka has done. I am sure he is a wonderful man. He is not my issue. It is just how the video was packaged and presented that really struck me. It just seemed to me as condescending.

[msongs]

1. so what have you done for people of Madagascar? nt

[nadine_mn]

3. Nothing. I haven't done a damn thing with my life recently

Seriously. I used to be an advocate for survivors of elder abuse and before that survivors of domestic and child abuse. Then I had some type of mental breakdown and for the last 10 yrs have had crippling depression and panic attacks.

I didn't mean to take away from the work that Pedro Opeka has done - I am sure he is truly a good man who helped so many. It is how the story was presented that really struck me as off.

[Squinch]

2. It's bootstrap bullshit. I share your skepticism about that guy being responsible

for the changes that took place there, and the actual people living there never having done anything until he showed up.

Looks to me like apologia for dismantling the safety net and I'd need to see more information on the guy before I believed any of this.

[matt819]

4. You know, sometimes good work is just good work

There's a Danish woman who does NGO aid work in Nigeria. Building schools, taking care of kids, etc. I think she deserves a collective Nobel Peace Prize along with the Danish aid organization supporting her and the Nigerian individuals and NGOs working with her.

White privilege? Who knows? And in this case, who cares. She's doing good work? I don't think that the children who benefit from what she has done don't care that she's white.

I volunteer at a local homeless shelter. Many of the residents are white. Some are not. Want to criticize me for my white privilege? Go ahead. I'll still volunteer.

Sure, sometimes there are questions. And there's often a sort of arrogance. But let's not get lost in the weeds on this. Sometimes good work is just good work, whoever does it.

[nadine_mn]

7. You are right - I guess I am just oversensitive

Like I said - he has done great work. My problem was with the presentation, not the person or the work. Like look at former Pres. Jimmy Carter and his work - fricking amazing esp the Carter Center's effort to eradicate Guinea worm disease.

I'm not trying to say white folks can't help others - I'm sorry it came across that way. I just read too much into how his story was being presented.

[True Dough]

5. Not sure about the white privilege angle

But just wanted to wish you well as you battle depression, Nadine. I hope you find solace in your dogs and in your husband. Life brings its ups and downs (some more extreme than others). Hang in there!

[tazkcmo]

6. Yes this! n/t

[nadine_mn]

10. Thank you - some days are better than others

but I always find strength in the kind people here on DU

[delisen]

8. We used to call it playing "White Jesus" or "White Savior."

But Nadine, how about you. Can you join a group? If not for depression, maybe a writer's group?

[nadine_mn]

11. Thank you for asking about me - you know the pisser about

depression is that one thing that helps is being around others, yet the last thing you feel like doing it being around others.

[delisen]

13. Well keep writing if you can. I read what you write.

[JHan]

9. Your instincts were right, the director of the video erased everyone else..

I saw one man and *others* needing help. Not much focus on the *others* which diminishes them.

Also, this is some shady shit

"he also taught them the culture of the hard work, and the necessity of education in being a better person"

As for depression..

.. remember to always take care of you, tend and nurture yourself.