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Summary Of White Privilege Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack

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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, …show more content…

For instance, point twenty-four, " I can be pretty sure that when I ask to talk to the "person in charge," I will be facing a person of my race," after reading this, gives the reader the idea that people of color or nonwhites are never in charge. Although it can be argued that this piece by McIntosh can be seen as discriminatory to white people in general, it seems as though the point she has mentioned is often true. When McIntosh states, "I have chosen these conditions that I thin I my case attach somewhat more to skin-color privileges than class, religion, ethnic status or geographic location," It is apparent that these were not made upon stereotypes, but upon her every day living. It is unfortunate that although these instances or conditions may be true, the opposing side of nonwhites has to endure this. As an example, "I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systemic racism for their own daily physical protection," having to teach a child to protect themselves because they are not of a certain skin color is profoundly absurd, but seemingly true. Although this work by McIntosh is supposed to "unpack the invisible backpack" on white privilege, looking at a broader perspective of the argument I believe that through doing so, it unveils a more serious issue

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