Whitesplain
To explain something as a white person
Example
Did you see his tweet yesterday?
No, was it bad?
Well, do you think whitesplaining racism to a civil rights leader is bad?
Yikes. :-/
Related Slang
Mansplain | When a man explains something in a condescending manner |
Whitelash | White voter backlash |
White fragility | Sensitivity of white people towards evidence of racism |
CRT | Critical Race Theory |
Performative allyship | Allyship that is performed to gain social standing |
TITF | Taking it too far |
Virtue signaling | Demonstrating moral superiority |
Woke | Aware of social issues |
Wokespeak | Vocabulary that indicates awareness of social issues |
Whitesplaining is when a white person attempts to explain something. The term combines "white" and "explain," and its origins date back to at least 2010 as a variation of mansplain.
"Whitesplain" can be used as a verb or noun and may refer to any topic. However, it often describes a person's attempt to explain something they haven't personally experienced. For example, a white person may try to explain something from a different culture or a racial topic they only partially understand.
When people whitesplain something, they may have good intentions, but are oblivious to the enormity and sensitivity of the subject. They might try to share their perspective to be helpful, but not in a way that conveys a true understanding. In these instances, their attempts come across as condescending and inappropriate, especially when they try to whitesplain directly at a person of color.
Whitesplaining on Social Media
While people may whitesplain in real life, you may also see it online, especially on social media, like Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook. These sites house the debates of many controversial opinions.
For example, on Twitter in 2017, actor Rob Schneider attempted to explain to John Lewis, a civil rights activist and politician who was friends with Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), how he should best honor MLK's legacy. The predictable backlash soon followed.