How to Avoid Glorifying White Characters

Who drives the action?

• Are scenes where the white character is involved comparably more action-driven?
  
• Are they constantly acting on others while others react to their statements and decisions?
  
• Do they push the majority of the story events forward?
  

It’s good to have active characters in general, but the white main character should not create all of the plot momentum.  If non-white characters are metaphorically being pushed out of the way to make room for the white character’s big scenes, you probably have a glorified white character problem.

Who Resolves The Problems?

Is your white character the handyman for everyone’s issues? What do PoC accomplish among themselves without a white character fixing for them?

Your white characters are allowed to support and protect others. Just ask yourself if they have to intervene in the circumstance at hand and just how much they play hero throughout the plot. If it’s more than a couple times, consider writing out a list of 1-2 alternative scenes where it doesn’t play out that way. What if PoC saved themselves or each other? Replace a white-as-hero-centric scene with one of those.

Create ugly, high-stakes flaws

Consider the white character’s major flaws, and how they play out in the plot.

Are they “cute” flaws? Can their imperfections be spun into a positive, such as shyness or perfectionism? If their flaw could answer the “what are your weaknesses” question in an interview, it’s not ugly enough. Ugly flaws are complex. Complex flaws do not place characters into situations where readers are lead to feel sorry for them. Create people, not angels.

Say your white character’s flaw is caring about others more than he should. While this can certainly cause problems, one cannot think too negatively of the character who simply loved too much for his own good!

If you’re stumped by your flawless hero– consider the neutral traits of the character and where they can go wrong. For example: your protective white lover could have a problem reining in his jealousy, which might also stem from insecurity, lack of trust, or being too controlling.

Not only should white characters have real flaws, but there should be real consequences to their slip-ups. Having a white character who makes fewer and less impactful mistakes than everyone else is a cause of concern.

Protective White Man to Black Woman Plot

I’m not opposed to the white man being a hero for his Black woman lover. I think we need more stories where Black women are not forced to hold the world alone but can step back to be protected by others, whether that’s in romantic love or friendship. Simply remember that your Black woman is still a character. She should act and create plot momentum. That may not play out in her protecting him physically or emotionally, but in other areas that matter. Recognize where her strengths lie, and start from there.

If you could replace her character with a doll with a button that spits out a couple of phrases, you’ve made a passive character who is likely being overshadowed by the white man character.

Solutions

Most readers appreciate a character who is not a perfect, dust-free replica of a human.

Evaluate your story for the pitfalls mentioned above, and remedy accordingly. I suggest you lay out your story events and make out some lists:

1. Look at your white character’s personalities, and contrast them to the major Characters of Color. List out each characters’ major moments of glory and failure. If the scales aren’t balanced, consider adding and reducing where it fits.
   
2. Examine the characters’ major flaws and mistakes. Assure white characters and PoC stand on somewhat equal playing ground.
   
3. Consider the conflict throughout the plot and who plays the bigger part in resolving them.
   

If the scales aren’t balanced:

Add – POC-centered action scenes. It’s alright if the white characters step out of the action for a while. Sometimes it’s okay for them to react for a change vs. stirring up all of the action.

Reduce – White character-centered action scenes. Replace them with moments where the PoC plays the more active roles or with scenes where they both help solve the problems. Note that not every problem should require the assist of a white person, but working together can be a wonderful thing too, especially in the case of loved ones.

–Mod Colette

Negative Introduction of Black Character’s Race

It’s best to start a piece off with neutral or positive descriptions of Characters of Color, if possible. Even if it’s a brief description, that’s better than nothing. Beginning the story with a negative association to Blackness (particularly a negative description such as dark skin being fetishized or put down) starts us off on a bad note that could potentially color the tone of the story in said negative way. In this case, it seems like the character is contrasting her looks with that of the opinion of a racist white woman who saw her as pretty, but the character herself doesn’t believe herself to be pretty. Is that right? 

If so, I do think what I said regarding beginning a character off with a neutral or positive description is best for the fact that the description is contrasted from a racist character whose view of the character being pretty is actually seen in a negative, threatening way. I’d feel differently if that contrast was from a friend or loving family member, genuine in their praise, and the MC simply didn’t believe in her beauty yet.

In short: The description itself is okay to use, especially since you’ll be exploring the character’s low self-esteem, colorism, and eurocentric beauty ideals, but i’d recommend at least beginning the introduction with a neutral or positive description of the character’s race, even if it’s a smaller one.

~Colette

I can’t tell if you’re thinking of introducing the Black character via the racist’s view, or if you’re going to have the bullied character recall an instance that shaped her. Regardless, the way you introduce the description will depend on the depth of PoV and whether you have room to give a non-characterized description, or if you have to think a little harder to get the characterized description neutral at the start.

If you’re introducing it by the racist in a deep third or first, then you have to show that the bully finds the character threatening by beauty. This characterizes her and allows you to have a neutral to positive description first. If you jump straight to her negative thoughts, then you both lose a characterization opportunity and lose the positivity needed.

If you’re introducing it by the girl impacted in deep third or first, then maybe have her remember how cute she felt that day, then how it was all destroyed by one instance. This sets up the character arc of wanting to feel good in her own skin again, and shows how one interaction can poison you.

That being said, if you’re going for a moderate to distant third person, you have the narrative room to give a neutral, non-characterized description without any perspective to influence how the Black girl is seen. Then you can introduce their views later.

It’s possible to include a double standard of how they think vs how they act/how they’re perceived, but the way that shows up will differ based on how close you are to the character’s head.

~Mod Lesya