Etymology

great white hope

Today it means: A highly skilled white/Caucasian challenger for leadership in a field whose top ranks are dominated by non-Caucasians; especially a field which was once dominated by white Caucasians, and is now dominated by those of black-African descent. Full definition →

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great white hope · noun1

Coined in the early 20th century, first appearing in 1910; during a period when African-American heavyweight champion boxer Jack Johnson seemed unbeatable by a Caucasian boxer. A term that first gained prominence with James J. Jeffries' return from retirement to fight Jack Johnson in 1910. Following this, a wave of white fighters, many with no prior boxing experience, suddenly took up the sport in hopes of defeating him. In what became a racially charged search for a white boxer to reclaim the title. With many of them collectively referred to as "White Hopes." The term was repopularized in the late-mid 1900s with the appearance of the play and film "The Great White Hope"; and its definition extended beyond boxing and Caucasians.

Great White Hope · proper noun2

Coined by white supremacists during the 2016 United States presidential election.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.