Revisiting the Racist Connotations of White Man’s Burden in Colonialism’s Legacy.

White Man’s Burden

Poem by Rudyard Kipling; the idea that it is the responsibility of people of European descent to take care of people of other races due to their perceived superior culture, technology, government, etc.

“White Man’s Burden” is a phrase often used to describe the belief held by many Europeans and Americans during the era of colonialism that it was their duty to bring civilization and progress to the so-called “uncivilized” regions of the world. The phrase comes from a poem by Rudyard Kipling that was written in 1899 as an exhortation to the United States to take up the mantle of imperialism and help “lesser breeds” (i.e. non-white people) to become more like white Europeans.

The phrase “White Man’s Burden” has been criticized for its racist overtones and patronizing assumptions about the abilities and needs of the people in the colonized regions. Many historians argue that the colonial project was more about exploitation and control than about spreading enlightenment and progress. The impact of colonialism on the cultures and societies of the colonized regions was often devastating, and led to the destruction of traditional ways of life, the exploitation of natural resources, and the suppression of local economies and political systems.

Today, the phrase “White Man’s Burden” is often used as a way of critiquing the legacy of colonialism, and of interrogating the ways in which Western powers have historically treated people from other parts of the world. From a contemporary perspective, it is clear that the concept of the “White Man’s Burden” was deeply flawed, and that its consequences have been far-reaching and often negative.

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