Talking Point #1

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

By: Peggy McIntosh                                                                                                                                        Sam Medeiros

Quotes:

1.       “As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as something which puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege which puts me at an advantage”  (1).  I can really relate to this quote especially since it is the same way that I was taught about racism. I was always told that others were at a disadvantage but even though we should help them most of us don’t want or don’t even think about losing some of what we have in order to help others.  We completely avoided the topic of how we are more privileged then others.

2.        “I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented” (2). Just the other day when my friends and I were going home we talked about this point that McIntosh brings up. We started to discuss how Disney Channel’s actors are not wide ranged when it comes to race. Off the top of our heads we could name less than a handful of African Americans that we knew are actors on that particular channel. Unless it is brought forth we don’t really notice that most channels do not broadcast a wide range of races.

3.       “(But) a “white” skin in the United States opens many doors for whites whether or not we approve of the way dominance has been conferred on us. Individual acts can palliate, but cannot end, these problems” (3). This statement brings the answer to what many of us are searching for. Although most of us believe that all of this can be fixed by us coming forth and helping it isn’t enough. It will not all go away at the wave of a wand. No it is going to take a lot more work than just that.

Questions/Comments/Points to Share

This article really answered a lot of what we have been discussing in class. Whites don’t realize that we are given so many privileges and advantages just because of the color of our skin. And most of us think that we can level the playing field by removing offense language in books or by performing small acts of kindness but that won’t work. There is so much that we have to do and everyone needs to come to terms that in order to win this fight many of us are going to lose some of our advantages and common privileges in order for others to gain what the rightfully deserve.