Summary Of White Privilege Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack

As a result of her comprehensive definition on white privilege and endorsement to her academic background, McIntosh begins to persuade her audience that unearned white privilege does exist. The first couple of paragraphs of her essay she gives to define white privilege, so it is recognizable that this definition is necessary for her essay and her argument.

This week we were assigned to read to different articles. The first article was written by Peggy McIntosh titled, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”. Throughout the article, Peggy showed the readers what it means to have white privilege. She showed the readers 50 different types of “advantages” that whites get over other races, such as African Americans. This is the biggest theme throughout her entire piece.

The “Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” McIntosh begins her essay portraying the unwillingness of men to admit that they are over privileged. Even those who are willing to admit that women are at a disadvantage have a problem admitting their privilege. McIntosh realizes that this denial of privilege does not only apply to gender but to race as well. She realizes that white people including herself are thought to view racism as something that puts others at a disadvantage but have never had to considered an aspect of racism that befits them; white privilege. Although being a woman puts McIntosh at a disadvantage she realizes that by not acknowledging her privilege she is unintentionally oppressing others as well.

Anderson claims that white people have more power in society and because of this, minorities are forced to take it upon the streets. Anderson wants the reader to understand that white people, especially white males, have more power than other races because in our society the reader sees powerful men everyday such as lawyers, policemen, judges, CEO's ,and etc. The reader doesn't see many minority's as high power people. When the author states that “...white rage carries an aura of respectability and has access to the courts, police, legislatures and governors,...” the reader can infers that white people are perceived as higher roles in our society and that the minority's rage carries a aura of disrespect and leads to violence. This allows white people to to be heard easily because of how they are seen in society by other white people, but for minority's they struggle to be heard because nobody pays attention to them because society feels that this is an ongoing issue.

The central them of White Privilege Knapsack is about how certain people have better advantages simply because of what they were born into. Whether it is being a specific race that is believed to be superior over others or being males versus a female. What was the article about?: Growing up children learn from an early age of what is acceptable and what is expected of them.

“Behind every success, large or small, there is a story, and it isn't always told by sex or skin color” (page 2, par. 15), Fortgang, T (2014). Some people base their success on their racial background. “Checking My Privilege” by Tal Fotrtgang was written in an effort to voice his opinion on this matter. In his essay, Tal Fortgang says, “I actually went and checked the origins of my privileged existence, to empathize with those whose underdog stories I can’t possibly comprehend. I have unearthed some examples of the privilege with which my family was blessed, and now I think I better understand those who assure me that skin color allowed my family and I to flourish today”

Some believe not noticing race will end racism, while other believe not noticing their privilege will end racism. Changing racism, requires a lifetime commitment. Being a friend to a person of Color, going to school with people of Color, living in neighborhoods with people of Color or blame people of Color is not the answer to ending racism. Education about the complexity of racism is key to ending racism (Sensory & DiAngelo, p. 124). Whites experiences of being the minority gives them some understanding of people of Color experiences, but these experience are

The author uses dichotomous thinking to classify white people as being the dominant party as they enjoy what she terms as "white privilege". She explains the privilege by noting that she was not forced to expose her children to the existence of racism and her certainty that the person-in-charge is often white “I did not have to educate our children to be aware of systemic racism for their own daily physical protection” and, “I can be reasonably sure that if I ask to talk to ‘the person in charge,’ I will be facing a person of my race” (McIntosh 89). Our ability to realize the privileges that we get to enjoy allows us to notice the people who do not get to enjoy such privileges. Learning about privilege becomes vital as it allows human beings to be more considerate of individuals who do not get the same privilege. White privilege, as a form of privilege, often goes unnoticed.

There is so much truth to Dr. Goffman’s words in regards to specific entitlements just for the color of one’s skin. I am sure all of us can give several examples of school fights – and I (as well as my white friends) tell these stories with half-hearted grins, or similar to embellished fishing stories, and these stories never end behind bars, or in court rooms.

In the McIntosh article, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” my overview of this article for the reading assignment is that “white privilege,” as McIntosh states, is “an invisible package of unearned assets which I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was meant to remain oblivious.” This revelation came as she was writing an observation article on white male privilege in America. Her reviews in this area began in her discoveries of men’s unwillingness to recognize their over-advantage status, however they would concede the impediment condition of women. These denials protected male privilege from being acknowledged, diminished, or abridged. Her findings concerning unattended white privilege may be key to bigotry.

I sometimes get irritated when people don’t agree on the same ideas that I have or when the other person says something that I don’t agree with. The objective of this chapter made me comprehend that based on an individual’s experiences and viewpoints impacts the person’s behavior. Some experience may deal with the oppressions and privileges a person has, the article “Explaining White Privilege to a Broke White Person…” made me realize that I am more privilege than what I thought. The author didn’t think she was privilege until she read a book she got recommended and from her article she summarizes

Whites are privileged because we are seen as the average American. We do not get second glances, because nobody suspects we are doing anything but living our lives. Though since we are not subject to this intense scrutiny we do not realize that we in turn do this to African Americans, just simply living their daily lives as well. McIntosh (1988) points out that she repeatedly forgot each of the realizations on this list until I wrote it down. For me white privilege has turned out to be an elusive and fugitive subject.

One of these flaws is equal rights. African Americans are having difficulties obtaining their own spot. “[Hansberry brings] local, individual struggles of African Americans—against segregation, ghettoization, and capitalist exploitation—to the national stage. (Gordon, 121 and 122)” The play first points out segregation.

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack While reading this piece by Peggy McIntosh, I found myself as a white woman thinking, 'yes I can do these things,' and realized right there what white privilege looks like. Looking at the fifty points McIntosh discusses, it is clear that the predominance of white privilege affects her daily life. These daily effects McIntosh discusses range from who she wants to surround herself with, knowing and feeling financially secure and feeling welcomed in public life. While only choosing fifty instances where McIntosh feels her white privilege comes into contact, it is apparent that the instances are common when discussing primarily skin color compared to race, class, and religion. Without argument,

The struggles and the right of the less privileged are being ignored constantly. I do not agree with the authors reasoning that an individual making themselves self-appointed privilege police is a selfish attempt to discredit achievements or experiences of privileged individuals. I simply believe that this behavior is a cry out for equality. I have been in a situation where I had to stand almost two hours under the burning sun to get a bucket of water.