White Privilege Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack Summary

In the article “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh, there is the discussion of white privilege being some sort of invisible benefit that accompanies whites while they remain oblivious to it. McIntosh then goes into how she came about her stance of white privilege through her studies in male privilege over women. In this stance, McIntosh stated how men were unable to acknowledge the idea that they were privileged compared to women but were able to say that women were in a disadvantaged position. She connects this idea with her statement on white privilege by showing how the men’s denial was similar to the denial of whites and their state of privilege over the other races. McIntosh saw this disadvantaged state …show more content…
The statements quoted above show how white privilege was present back then in a manner that boosted their daily life. At the same instance of white privilege occurring, it would also affect the other races in a way that did not seem fair. Other races could not experience these privileges that whites had. The privileges felt more like they were given instead of earned. After the list, McIntosh goes on to explaining how these situations can establish whites to be seen as a more dominant group compared to the rest. The white privilege and dominance go hand-in-hand in a way and it shows how whites are likely to be favored in many situations. McIntosh states how a change in this mentality is required, but it will not be enough to defuse the dominance as a whole. There must be a mutual understanding on all grounds that this privilege favoring a certain group should not exist and from there it can be worked …show more content…
Even to this day, there are problems that still exist between races. The extent of it may not have been as bad it was back then like in the days of slavery, but it is still a worrisome issue. In McIntosh’s article, she brings up valid points of whites being able to access more opportunities than others and just having more benefits overall. In the past years, similar issues like this still exist. You can see complaints and stories from members of a minority group being treated unfairly or was not hired because of the color of their skin. An extreme case dealing with unfairness and racism recently was the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement that is still prevalent. In this movement, you can see several opinions in the black community about how they are not treated fairly or in the same manner compared to whites. I believe as long as this ongoing mental war between races exists, there will not be a level where everyone can be at equilibrium. It is definitely not a matter that can be solved over night, maybe not even 10 years, but addressing that there is a problem that needs to be dealt with is crucial for understanding one another. After reading this article, it made me evaluate many instances in my past where a sense of invisible privilege may have come into play. Invisible privilege comes in different shapes and flies under