I was called white once at work by a progressive white female. The one who indoctrinated her 9 year old son to the extent that the kid cried at the results of the 2016 election. A story she would then relay to others as proof of how bad Trump was. We were sort of friends and close coworkers at the time, and I think she thought she was educating me rather than scolding me. I don't quite remember the context of the conversation, only what felt like an accusation. It wasn't a term of endearment, that is for sure.
That same progressive white woman could often be seen 'working with' one of the few black scientists, a younger female, in the office. They would prominently sit hunched over a laptop in the break room. I always had the sense that the interaction was necessarily a patronizing one, and one in which the white woman felt she was being charitable and fighting the good fight. Gross.
