History Film / DearWhitePeople

* EverythingIsRacist: Sam's defining characteristic for a majority of the film. At one point, she claims that ''Film/{{Gremlins}}'' is [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation about white suburbanites being afraid of black people]].

* {{Misblamed}}: Sam and the BSU voice their discontent with the American film industry's treatment of black characters, with Tyler Perry being named in particular as producing offensive movies. But rather than a producer or a writer, they complain to the poor man behind the ticket booth at a local movie theater.

* WrongInsultOffense: When Sam is accused of being a racist, she argues she isn't one because "racism is prejudice plus power", tacitly admitting that she is indeed a bigot.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Sam is outstandingly racist, though she denies this, claiming that racism is a system of disadvantage based on race, thus black people can't be racist because they don't stand to benefit from being racist.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Sam is outstandingly racist, though she denies this, claiming that racism is a system of disadvantage based on race, thus black people can't be racist because they don't stand to benefit from being racist.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Sam is outstandingly racist, though she denies this, claiming [[InsaneTrollLogic racism is a system of disadvantage based on race, thus black people can't be racist because they don't stand to benefit from being racist.]]

* {{Hypocrite}}: Sam is outstandingly prejudice, though she denies this, claiming [[InsaneTrollLogic racism is a system of disadvantage based on race, thus black people can't be racist because they don't stand to benefit from being racist.]] While this may be true she is still prejudiced against white people.

* StraightGay: Lionel.

* TakeThatKiss: In a CrowningMomentOfAwesome, Lionel delivers a long and hard one to Kurt on the mouth to humiliate him in front of his friends.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Sam is outstandingly prejudice, though she denies this, claiming [[InsaneTrollLogic racism is a system of disadvantage based on race, thus black people can't be racist because they don't stand to benefit from being racist.]] While this may be true she is still prejudiced.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Sam is outstandingly racist, though she denies this, claiming [[InsaneTrollLogic racism is a system of disadvantage based on race, thus black people can't be racist because they don't stand to benefit from being racist.]]

** Sam's argument about the true nature of racism (that [[InsaneTrollLogic African-Americans are incapable of being racist, as racism is a system of disadvantage based on race, and they don't stand to benefit from it]]) is clearly meant to be taken as absurd, but it's a very real argument that's regularly espoused--unironically--by far left scholars, and more infamously, bloggers and activists.

* PrettyFlyForAWhiteGuy: One of the major themes of the movies (if not ''the'' major theme) is white people who are obsessed with emulating black stereotypes.

* AmbiguouslyBrown: Tessa Thompson's Sam White gets this reaction repeatedly and resents it. Gabe goes so far as to accuse her of playing up a "Tragic Mulatto" front. Sam herself identifies unambiguously as black, and does not once question, deny, or attempt to hide her own blackness.

** Sam's argument about the true nature of racism (that [[InsaneTrollLogic African-Americans are incapable of being racist, as racism is a system of disadvantage based on race, and they don't stand to benefit from it]]) is clearly meant to be taken as absurd, but it's a very real argument that's regularly espoused--unironically--by far left scholars, and more infamously, bloggers and activists.

** Sam's argument about the true nature of racism (that [[InsaneTrollLogic African-Americans are incapable of being racist, as racism is a system of disadvantage based on race, and they don't stand to benefit from it]]) is clearly meant to be taken as absurd, but it's a very real argument that's regularly espoused--unironically--by several far-left bloggers and activists in TheNewTens.

** Sam's argument about the true nature of racism (that African-Americans are incapable of being racist, as racism is a system of disadvantage based on race, and they don't stand to benefit from it) is clearly meant to be taken as absurd by the white person she's talking, but it's a very real argument that's regularly espoused activists in TheNewTens.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Sam is outstandingly racist, though she denies this, claiming racism is a system of disadvantage based on race, thus black people can't be racist because they don't stand to benefit from being racist.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Sam is outstandingly racist, though she denies this, claiming [[InsaneTrollLogic racism is a system of disadvantage based on race, thus black people can't be racist because they don't stand to benefit from being racist.]]

** Sam's argument about the true nature of racism (that [[InsaneTrollLogic African-Americans are incapable of being racist, as racism is a system of disadvantage based on race, and they don't stand to benefit from it]]) is clearly meant to be taken as absurd, but it's a very real argument that's regularly espoused--unironically--by several far-left bloggers and activists in TheNewTens.

* AuthorAvatar: Lionel and Sam for Justin Simien.

* CategoryTraitor: Sam accuses black people who moderate their "blackness" to accommodate white people of this.

** Sam's argument about the true nature of racism (that [[InsaneTrollLogic African-Americans are incapable of being racist, as racism is a system of disadvantage based on race, and they don't stand to benefit from it]]) is clearly meant to be taken as absurd, but it's a very real argument that's regularly espoused--unironically--by several far-left bloggers and activists in TheNewTens.

* JiveTurkey: Mitch. Even goes so far as to try and casually use "nigga." Troy stops him cold.
** Lampshaded when Coco makes him reveal that he gets his "urban" slang...from Vermont.
** It's hard not to cringe with Sofia calls Troy "boo."
** In keeping with the film's theme of identity, there's a generous amount of self-respecting, upright African American characters and an equal amount of Caucasian characters who try to evoke Black stereotypes. This is lampshaded by [[spoiler: Coco's big speech at the end]].

* AuthorAvatar: Lionel for Justin Simien.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Sam is outstandingly racist, though she denies this, claiming [[InsaneTrollLogic racism is a system of disadvantage based on race, thus black people can't be racist because they don't stand to benefit from being racist.]]