More handpicked essays just for you.
White privilege and the invisible knapsack
What is white privilege?essay
White privilege and the invisible knapsack
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Growing up as an African-American you are always taught to be twice as good. Twice as good as the white people to receive the same treatment as them. I grew up hearing this same phrase constantly but never really understood exactly what it meant until I got old enough to actually see the kind of world we are living in. The author of the article, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” Peggy Mclntosh, took as step into shoes of black America and found that white privilege not only exist, but many whites are blind to it. She gives a clear argument about how white privilege is harmful to our society and how we can work together to fix this. In America, whites have always been treated better than blacks. Going back to those rough times …show more content…
She alludes to the idea that as people we must look deeper into our lives and see were we may have been given unearned privilege whether is be from race, gender, or sexuality. “I 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. The pressure to avoid it is great, for in facing it I must give up the myth of meritocracy. If these things are true, this is not such a free country; one’s life is not what one makes it; many doors open for certain people through no virtues of their own.” In conversations many people get defensive when someone says, “You have this because of your privilege” they feel as though that the person they are talking with doesn’t understand that they have worked hard for what they have, however that is not the point that anyone is trying to make. What someone in that position is saying is that although you have worked hard to get where you are your journey have been well furnished with privilege on account of your race. It is said to think about that you got somewhere in life due to the color of your skin, but it is also sadder to think that someone got declined a job, got stereotyped, or got overlooked because of their race or
Gina Crosley-Corcoran, author of Explaining White Privilege to a Broke White Person, informs her readers about her misinterpretation of white privilege. After being called out for her unknowing use of white privilege, Gina begins to plead her case. Beginning with her childhood, Gina explains how she grew up “on the go”. Travelling from place to place, Gina lived in a rundown trailer and her family obtained little to no money, had no access to hot water, survived on cheap, malnourished foods, and dealt with a bad home life. After evaluating her history when placed at the end of life’s spectrum, Gina finds it hard to pick out white privilege in her life and therefore argues she has none. Later, Gina is introduced to a woman named Peggy McIntosh
Peggy McIntosh wrote this article to identify how her white privilege effects her life. Each statement is written as a privilege that Ms. McIntosh does not need to consider or fear as a white woman. From financial credibility to national heritage, this article makes a valid point regarding the way white people can be arrogant and naïve when the same treatment is not being given to their neighbors, coworkers, and peers. There can be two responses when reading this. The first would be a person of color. They will appreciate the attempt at realization of what white people take for granted. The second would be the reality that smacks the white people in the face when they realize how true all 50 statements are. Once this begins to sink in, many will start to broaden their competence realizing the unfair treatment of the people in this world. Moving down the timeline, we can see how the acknowledgement can mend broken relationships. Owning the reality and doing something to change it can give the people of different races the treatment they deserve (McIntosh,
Black people were seen as a problem by the white people just because their skin color was different;
As a child I grew up in a small town, everyone knew each other and if something changed, everybody knew about it. I remember as a teenager when I started driving, I noticed a lot of the cars that were pulled over by the police, were out of towners, and the drivers were black. At the time I thought they must have been speeding, but as I look back after all these years, and learning about racism in school, I can say without a doubt, it was racial profiling by the police, and possibly my first actual view of white privilege.
White privilege is a concept that many people are unfamiliar with, but not because they do not benefit from it. In the paper “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh argues that white people have an advantage over those of other races, though most are completely unaware of it or simply take it for granted. Her recognition of white privilege came from the concept of male privilege. She says that she looked at that concept and realized there was certainly something similar to it in regards to race (McIntosh, 1988, 11). This paper has great importance to the function of society. Because many white people do not recognize their unfair and disproportionate advantage in society, racial tensions can rise even more because there is a major wall blocking people from fixing the current issues.
Concluding remarks: Ultimately, Margaret Wente’s article “The Original Sin of White Privilege” is a missed opportunity. Had she decided to present this information with more statistical evidence and less anecdotal evidence her argument would have been stronger. This is a highly controversial topic that calls for the use of several examples in order to provide the reading with a clear and compelling
Peggy Mcintosh discusses how frequent white privilege comes into play in one’s everyday life, as well as how it has seemed to go unnoticed. She defines white privilege as an invisible package loaded with unearned benefits that one can cash in whenever they please, and those who use it have often remained oblivious. From the perspective of a white female, I think she had dissected the characteristics of white privilege so spot on, that I did not even realize all the ways in which the conditions of white privilege had applied to my everyday life. As a strong believer in human rights and equality between race and sex, I believe that the term “white privilege” does not always have to be limited to the white population. The characteristics of white
By illuminating the many forms that white privilege takes, Peggy McIntosh urges readers to exercise a sociological imagination. She asks us to consider how our individual life experiences are connected to and situated within large-scale patterns and trends in society. She includes a “white privileges” checklist which includes answering yes or no to statements. For example, can Chad Aiken confidently say “I can be pulled over by a police cruiser and not have to worry about it being about my race”, or “I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to the “person in charge”, I will be facing a person of my race”. White people are generally free from this systemic bias, suspicion and low expectations that racialized people must endure everyday because it is built into our culture.
Privilege is a highly controversial topic that is not truly understood by most people. Through reading this paper you will learn about the key points from the article, A Social Worker’s Reflectionzaon Power, Privilege, and Oppression written by Michael S. Spencer and the article White Privilege: Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh. The paper will include my personal beliefs on the topic of privilege and even some of my own personal privilege that are in my knapsack that have helped me along my way in life. There will also be a point where I have the ability to inform you about how privilege affect people and how they can positively affect people who do not receive them. Privileges impacts many groups of people in many different ways. Privilege affects people in a number of different ways and many people do not truly understand how these privileges affect those who they do not include.
Tim Wise’s book White Like Me provides a picture of what it is like to be white in America. A main topic covered in White Like Me is white privilege. On pages 24 and 25 Wise illustrates what white privilege is and shares his opinion regarding how to address white privilege in society today. Wise’s plan for addressing white privilege is one not of guilt, but of responsibility, a difference Wise highlights. The concept of feeling guilty for white privilege lacks reason because white privilege is something built up through generations and its existence is not of any one person’s fault.
Privilege is a part of peoples lives. Knowingly or not it plays an important role in our lives and society. Privilege is defined as a special benefit or advantage that is exclusively reserved for a particular person or group. There is also inter sectional privilege, the concept of different types of privileges or lack thereof that one encounters whether it positively or negatively impacts them. During my life there has been one overwhelming privilege. That privilege is being born in America. Americans are reserved rights most people in the world do not have, or are not explicitly told. Inside America there are many aspects of life that give us these privileges, whether it be more advanced and protected jobs all the way to world class education
Privileges are things that a person receives that gives them an advantage over most people (Merriam-Webster). These are benefits that only certain people receive for being in a certain group or discourse. Peggy McIntosh, director of the Wellesley College Center for Research on Women, wrote “White Privilege and Male Privilege” and states “I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privileges, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege” (605). She argues that whites and males receive certain privileges, yet they do not even notice them. This shows that different races and women are still put at a disadvantage, but the people who receive the benefits are blind to the problem. Many people will argue that she is correct while some others will explain why this not is the case.
“as a result of the historic and continued discrimination, African-Americans continue to suffer debilitating economic, educational, and health hardships including but not limited to; having nearly 1,000,000 Black people incarcerated; an unemployment rate more than twice the current White unemployment rate; and an average of less than 1/16 of the wealth of White families, a disparity which has worsened, not improved over time.”
The concept of white privilege is one which causes strong emotional reactions from those on either sides of the argument. White privilege is often misunderstood by those who benefit from it. These benefiters, such as Princeton student Tal Fortgang, discredit the notion of white privilege because it lessens, “everything I have personally accomplished, all the hard work I have done in my life, and for ascribing all the fruit I reap not to the seeds I sow but to some invisible patron saint of white maleness who places it out before I even arrive,” (Fortgang). What arguers fail to understand, however, is that white privilege does not solely operate on an anecdotal or personal basis. Every person holds their own background of hardships and hoops to jump through in order to be successful. This concept is true for people of all skin tones. White privilege,
All people reaching an equilibrium is a distant dream. Searching for ways to make our lives equal is difficult. Everyone on Earth needs to cooperate to make this dream a reality. We often go through life not paying attention to the privileges we possess. Some don’t believe that white privilege, for example, exists. However, privilege is a very real thing present in our everyday lives. Therefore, privilege influences the advantages that are present in our lives.