Peggy Mcinntosh On Whiteness

At the heart of whiteness studies is the invisibility of whiteness and white privilege (Ahmed, 2004). Whiteness is thought of as the hidden criterion to which every other race is measured against. Through the lens of whiteness, the “other” is seen as deviant (Ahmed, 2004). The invisibility of whiteness, however, is only from the perspective of those who are white (Matthews, 2012). To people who are not white, it is pervasive and blatant. People see whiteness because they experience its effects. A useful comparison can be drawn between the unrecognised privileges of males, and those of white people (McIntosh, 1988). It is not unusual for men to acknowledge that women are disadvantaged. With that said, McIntosh (1988) argues that white privilege is in the same manner without recognition and thus preserved. McIntosh (1988) views white privilege as an invisible collection of unearned assets that is of benefit to white people on a daily basis.

Whiteness is an unseen force that permit those who pass of as “white” more privileges than their nonwhite counterparts. Although non-whites were granted the right to vote after the civil war, but “it was the white citizen who had clear access to the vote, sat on juries, was elected to public office and had better jobs” (The House We Live In). In America, a person must be white to enjoy all the full rewards that come with citizenship. White people dominate the political field and that is why laws that favors them are often passed. Peggy McIntosh have written how she was taught not be aware of her white privilege but was expected to still cash in on the “invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes,

The General Idea of White Privilege McIntosh (1988) defines white privilege

Is white Privilege real? I chose this article because when I got back from my mission I came home to a lot of politics. It has really interested me because when I left, politics were still an issue, but not to a large effect. When I got home it seemed like all hell broke loose and that’s all anyone was talking or posting about. So, I did some unbiased research myself not really listening to ones side or the other until I have read both stance points.

This raises the question of how can we improve race relations if we do not learn from the past? If we do not recognize the extent in which slavery has causes barriers for Blacks we are overlooking an important explanation for their present conditions. Although the 1994 Colonial Williamsburg African American department’s reenactment of a slavery auction was controversial for its portrayal of a deeply painful past, it brought into light the realities of

Fahad Albrahim Response 1: Review/Summary: “Whiteness as property” is an article written by Cheryl Harris, in which she addresses the subject of racial identity and property in the United States. Throughout the article, professor Harris attempts to explain how the concept of whiteness was initiated to become a form of racial identity, which evolved into a property widely protected in American law (page 1713). Harris tackles a number of facts that describe the roots of whiteness as property in American history at the expense of minorities such as Black and American natives (page 1709). Additionally, Harris describes how whiteness as property evolved to become seen as a racial privilege in which the whites gained more benefits, whether

Reparations for slavery is an ongoing debate, the idea that descendants of Africans who had been enslaved by the Atlantic Slave Trade should receive a compensatory payment is ridicules to many. Author Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote “The Case for Reparations”, and he argues that the idea of reparations is what is important. Coates begins building his argument with personal facts and reliable sources, overall successfully creating an emotional appeal to his readers. Throughout his article he builds a strong argument arguing that we need to start considering what the nation might owe the African American population after everything that’s been done to them. Throughout his article his attempts to appeal to the readers emotions helps build his argument against reparations.

It might not be seen but still operating. White privilege, is often rendered invisible but is one of the most common forms of racism and racialism. Most successful businesses and companies are often (96%) run by men (Power, SWLF-3446-FA501_2015 (Women and Social Welfare ( BRACE )), 2015). After analyzing Peggy McIntosh’s “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” I realize how many of these quotes and statements that I did not realize as a white female I either felt or was surprised people have to deal with. For example “I can chose blemish cover or bandages in flesh color that more or less matches my skin.”

Privilege is a strong word it is define as “a special right advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group of people”. How has privilege shaped my life, by dealing with race, by being an African American it a privilege to be free and not bond to someone like my ancestors had to go through in the slave days. John Blake mention in his article It’s time to talk about ‘black privilege’ , that being black we have privilege it gave an example, “Black History month congress had passed a sweeping civil right act 1875 that band discrimination”(J.Blake).yes, I agree with him that a great privilege to have and be able celebrate the great things or ancestors did and how they pave the way for African American. Privilege

537). This list allows the readers to be placed in the mindset of the author because the list encompasses social, emotional, mental and physical aspects of privileged life that many other people may not have heard of or thought about before. A majority of the readers may be able to relate to some of these incidents among white people because there is only a limited amount of experiences stated that maybe one individual is able to see outside of these occurrences and relate it to one of their own. The list McIntosh had evaluated employs logos because it becomes a list, it is directly written down as the readers can extend the version with their own situations they have encountered as being a privileged white American; all of these listings becomes more evidence for her

In Peggy McIntosh’s “White Privilege”, she talks about how white privilege is “like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools and blank checks” (1). What she meant by this, was that light-skinned/white people are at an automatic advantage over dark-skinned people, whom in turn, become the disadvantaged. She claims that being white protected her from danger and violence and freed her to do many things that she realized other people of color could not. She believes she can get away with doing more things and that more doors are open to her especially due to the color of her skin. When relating this to the movie, “The Hangover”, it is easy to point out these concepts of white privilege.

White privilege is defined as “…………..” After reading this and comparing it to my life and experiences I can recognize the resemblance. As a white person in my society, I hold copious privileges and forms of power that I have not earned, but has been handed. Although, I cannot speak for my entire race when I state this, I believe that any Caucasian person living in Canada, who would be willing to take the time to stop and think about their lives, would realize that they hold power over other racial minorities. This power is acquired solely due to the fact that they have a different colour of skin. This is not to imply that white people cannot be oppressed in other aspects of their lives, as a cause of the other social identities with which they

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

Over the past decade the term white privilege has emerged in our American history. White privilege is the concept that one particular group is benefited which is typically identified as white people. Most of the victims experiencing harsh conditions are non-white people under the same social, political, or economic circumstances of mistreatment. A conversation took place with a few people about white privilege whose race is identified as white. An interviewer started that “the belief that being white comes with unearned advantages and everyday perks”. However, a white retiree disagreed that white privilege does not exist but shortly afterwards he stated that black privilege does. Many people were confused by his comment and asked him to further elaborate on what exactly black

As a summer long intern, team members couldn’t reject me because they were under my authority. As an adult, the kids couldn’t decide to get picked up by another van or choose someone else to walk them to the bathroom. I don’t think I fully realized the extent of this privilege while I was there, but after reading “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” a new set of privileges came to me that I didn’t realize before. Those were the privileges to not think about or not worry about things other people had to. This summer, because of the power from my race, and my position in the organization, I didn’t have to think about