Mcintosh, Pozner, And Brenda Allen: A Comparative Analysis

Peggy McIntosh, Jennifer Pozner, and Brenda Allen all bring light to how cultural divides are portrayed within our society today, and how race is a complex issue that keeps these divides in place. For example, McIntosh’s “Invisible Knapsack” discusses what it’s like to have white privilege. On the other hand, Pozner’s “Ghetto Bitches, China Dolls, and Cha Cha Divas” states how America’s Next Top Model is out to perpetuate the cultural stereotypes that exist in our society. Lastly, Allen states facts about these stereotypes that make all people culturally different in her chapter “Race Matters.” All three pieces give evidence as to how race is spearheading these cultural divides. “Invisible Knapsack” is McIntosh’s article that lists examples of how people of Caucasian race are born with the right of white privilege. She tells of particular ways in which whites …show more content…
Unlike the other two sources, Allen focuses on the grand scope of racism and its effects on cultural divides, rather than on one specific branch of racism. “Race Matters” ties together the views of Pozner and McIntosh. Allen truly believes that whites receive special treatment. She states that “persons of color continue to experience various forms of prejudice” (Allen, 2011, p. 68). Allen discusses how large corporations are facing law suits regarding employment and consumer discrimination (Allen p. 69), and this clearly relates to the white privilege in regard to the business inequity McIntosh introduced to the reader. She also agrees with Pozner that race is perpetuated. She believes that many people “play the race card” (Allen, p. 77) and this tells the reader that race is sustained by society. The three sources all show how society today is full of cultural divides that are being kept