What Is White Centering? Meaning, Impact, and How to Avoid It

What Is White Centering?

White centering refers to the phenomenon where white people, values, norms, and emotions are treated as the default or most important perspective in conversations, decisions, and cultural norms—often overshadowing or minimizing the experiences and needs of people of color. As educator Layla F. Saad phrased it, white centering is “the centering of white people, white values, white norms, and white feelings over everything and everyone else.” This dynamic appears not only in individual interactions but permeates institutions, policies, workplaces, media, and social movements, compromising true equity and inclusion.

Why Does White Centering Matter?

The consequences of white centering run deep:

• Marginalizes the experiences and voices of Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC), often reducing their struggles to secondary concerns.
• Maintains structural racism by reinforcing the notion that white perspectives are universal or more rational.
• Derails conversations about racial justice by shifting focus back to the comfort or enlightenment of white people rather than substantive change.
• Promotes defensive reactions—such as tone policing or accusations of “reverse racism”—that protect white fragility at the expense of open, honest dialogue.

Ijeoma Oluo, writing in The Guardian, observed that white centering often emerges when “feelings of white people, the expectations of white people [and] the needs of white people” come to dominate important racial discussions, pushing aside the voices and realities of people who experience racism.

Examples of White Centering in Everyday Life

White centering is a pattern that can take many forms, both subtle and overt. Here are some common ways it shows up:

• Tone Policing: Prioritizing the comfort and emotional response of white participants over the validity or urgency of concerns raised by people of color. For example, telling someone their message about racism would be better received if they were less angry or more “polite.”
• White Fragility: Responding to discussions of racism with defensiveness or focusing on personal feelings rather than systemic issues, derailing the conversation.
• White Exceptionalism: Insisting that “not all white people” are part of the problem, shifting focus away from collective responsibility to individual innocence.
• Centering White Learning: Designing anti-racism spaces and conversations around the education of white people, rather than the liberation of marginalized communities.
• Rewriting Narratives: Highlighting white savior figures or framing white people as the primary agents of change in stories about racial justice.
• Minimizing Racism: Downplaying the lived experiences of BIPOC by saying things like “We’re all human,” “I don’t see color,” or “Why can’t we all just get along?”

How Does White Centering Happen?

White centering is not always conscious. It arises from a broader cultural system in which whiteness has been constructed as both the norm and the ideal. This system:

• Assumes white perspectives as the universal standard, while labeling other experiences as deviations or exceptions.
• Teaches white people from a young age to believe their feelings and viewpoints are central or most important, sometimes unconsciously.
• Reinforces itself through media representation, education, public policy, and everyday conversation.

Research suggests these patterns emerge early in life. A 2014 University of Virginia study found that by age 7, white children were less likely to empathize with Black children’s pain, reflecting the development of what educators describe as the “empathy gap.”

Why Is White Centering Harmful?

• Disrupts racial justice efforts: When conversations about equity continually shift to soothe or educate white participants, the focus is pulled from the lived realities and needs of communities of color, slowing progress.
• Enables racism to persist unchallenged: By avoiding discomfort, white people can ignore their role in upholding systemic injustice.
• Demands emotional labor: People of color are often expected to center white emotions, explain basic concepts, or avoid making white people feel guilty or uncomfortable, which can be exhausting and demoralizing.
• Upholds problematic language: Terms like “person of color” have been critiqued for centering white identity as the default, defining all other identities in relation to whiteness rather than independently.

How Can You Tell If You’re White Centering?

Many people engage in white centering without realizing it. Ask yourself:

• Do I become defensive or offended when issues of racism come up, especially if white people are criticized?
• Do I expect conversations about race to cater to my level of understanding or comfort?
• Do I dismiss or redirect discussions about whiteness or systemic racism to focus on the intentions of individual white people?
• Do I insist on being praised or reassured for being “one of the good white people?”
• When learning about racism, am I more focused on my feelings than on the harm experienced by BIPOC?

7 Ways to Avoid White Centering and Practice Allyship

Racial justice work requires consistent self-reflection and a willingness to decenter whiteness. Here are practical strategies to move from centering white perspectives to fostering genuine equity:

1. Listen More Than You Speak
   • Prioritize the lived experiences, voices, and needs of BIPOC in conversations about racism.
   • Resist the urge to offer your opinion, explain, or redirect the narrative.
2. Sit With Discomfort
   • It’s natural to feel uneasy, defensive, or guilty when discussing white privilege or racism.
   • Acknowledge these feelings but do not make them the center of the discussion.
3. Educate Yourself Independently
   • Seek out books, articles, podcasts, and workshops by BIPOC about racism and allyship.
   • Avoid expecting friends or colleagues of color to teach you basic concepts or validate your awareness.
4. Call In, Not Out
   • Gently challenge instances of white centering among fellow white people.
   • Share what you have learned without shaming or alienating others.
5. Pass the Mic
   • In meetings, conferences, and organizing spaces, yield space to BIPOC speakers and leaders.
   • Support initiatives led by communities of color instead of launching competing efforts.
6. Reflect on Your Motivations
   • Ask whether your actions are to comfort yourself, appear “woke,” or actually work toward anti-racist change.
   • Commit to centering equity and justice, not performative allyship.
7. Amplify, Don’t Appropriate
   • Share and credit the work, insights, and leadership of BIPOC rather than adopting their language or experiences as your own.
   • Be mindful not to speak for others, but instead elevate their platforms and voices.

Table: Common Behaviors — Centering vs. Decentering Whiteness

Are White People Always Aware of White Centering?

Frequently, white centering is unintentional, shaped by socialization that frames whiteness as “normal.” This doesn’t excuse the harm, but underscores the importance of active self-reflection and accountability. Many anti-racist advocates emphasize that intent is less meaningful than impact—what matters most is whether behavior perpetuates inequity or justice.

The Role of Language: Why Terminology Matters

Language shapes how we perceive race and power. Some terms, even those meant to affirm inclusivity, can inadvertently center whiteness. For instance:

• “Person of color” defines people’s identity in opposition to whiteness, reinforcing the idea that whiteness is the default or unmarked status.
• This term seeks to unite non-white communities, but some critics argue it can obscure the varied realities and identities within these groups, as well as reinforce problematic power structures.

Advocates recommend using more specific language and being attentive to the ways terminology can replicate centering or reinforce stereotypes.

What Is the Empathy Gap and How Is It Connected?

The empathy gap is the tendency to have less compassion or understanding for those perceived as different. For white people, this gap can appear early—studies show that by childhood, white children may underestimate the pain or struggles experienced by Black peers. This lays the groundwork for white centering later in life, as empathy and attention are distributed inequitably. Social justice educators encourage explicitly addressing this empathy gap through intentional cultural learning, exposure to diverse stories, and honest reflection about difference.

Beyond Awareness: Taking Action Against White Centering

Unlearning white centering is not a one-time act but an ongoing process. Meaningful change happens when white individuals and institutions commit to:

• Continuing to educate themselves about structural racism.
• Supporting and resourcing BIPOC-led projects without taking credit or interfering.
• Challenging and interrupting white centering wherever it appears: at work, at home, in schools, and in community spaces.

By actively decentering whiteness, conversations and actions can prioritize those most affected by racism, making social justice more than a theory.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is white centering the same as being racist?

A: White centering is a behavior or pattern that upholds the primacy of white perspectives, often unconsciously. While it is different from intentional acts of racism, it can enable and perpetuate systemic racism if left unchecked.

Q: What are examples of white centering in workplaces?

A: Examples include prioritizing the comfort of white staff in diversity trainings, glossing over issues raised by BIPOC employees, or celebrating racial equity initiatives only when white team members are engaged.

Q: Can people who are not white engage in white centering?

A: Yes, people of any race can sometimes reinforce white-centric norms under systems of power. However, it is most prevalent and impactful when practiced by those who benefit most from white privilege.

Q: How do I avoid white centering when discussing race on social media?

A: Focus on sharing and crediting BIPOC-created content, avoid making the conversation about your personal growth or guilt, and listen to feedback from marginalized voices.

Q: Why do conversations about race often shift focus to white people?

A: Because white-centric social frameworks tend to see white needs, feelings, and perspectives as the default, requiring conscious intervention to focus on marginalized groups.

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Medha DebCommerce Editor

 

Medha Deb is a commerce editor with a master's degree in applied linguistics from the University of Hyderabad, which has allowed her to develop a deep understanding of language and its application in various contexts. She specializes in the areas of beauty, health, and wellness and is committed to ensuring that the content on the website is of the highest quality.

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