When I think about white privilege, I see it as something I have to understand in order to truly feel a relation to my own privileges with race. “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.” (McIntosh 1990) When comparing other privileges McIntosh sees that most conditions in her life are influenced by her skin-color more than class, religion, ethnic status or geographical location. Tim Wise explains “even though their is more than one type of privilege, they can never fully eradicate white privilege.” “Understanding the persistence of privilege requires recognizing
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For example, If you were to walk into a drugstore looking for a hair product that best fits your needs, presumably you are white, you would be able to find what you are looking for. This is a white privilege. In Understanding White Privilege, Francis E. Kendall mentions that “Black hair products are much harder to find; often African Americans have to drive for miles to buy what they need.” A good way to influence others around us are by noticing that white people are privileged and by bringing the consciousness of others into the system in which we live in. Peggy Mcintosh explains white privilege as “an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools and blank …show more content…
I could think of myself as belonging in major ways, and of making social systems work for me.” (McIntosh) In the Race and Racisms: A Critical Approach it is noted that privilege can often be hard to notice. Some examples are if you are white “it can be difficult to notice that you aren’t being followed around the store; that people are smiling at you on the street instead of clutching their purses; that no one asks you if you speak English; that you are not asked for identification when paying with a credit card.” “Every time I walk into a store at the same time as a black man and the security guard follows him and leaves me alone to shop, I am benefiting from white privilege.” (Jensen) It would be likely that you would have to be with a minority in order to experience these types of
For example, If you were to walk into a drugstore looking for a hair product that best fits your needs, presumably you are white, you would be able to find what you are looking for. This is a white privilege. In Understanding White Privilege, Francis E. Kendall mentions that “Black hair products are much harder to find; often African Americans have to drive for miles to buy what they need.” A good way to influence others around us are by noticing that white people are privileged and by bringing the consciousness of others into the system in which we live in. Peggy Mcintosh explains white privilege as “an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools and blank …show more content…
I could think of myself as belonging in major ways, and of making social systems work for me.” (McIntosh) In the Race and Racisms: A Critical Approach it is noted that privilege can often be hard to notice. Some examples are if you are white “it can be difficult to notice that you aren’t being followed around the store; that people are smiling at you on the street instead of clutching their purses; that no one asks you if you speak English; that you are not asked for identification when paying with a credit card.” “Every time I walk into a store at the same time as a black man and the security guard follows him and leaves me alone to shop, I am benefiting from white privilege.” (Jensen) It would be likely that you would have to be with a minority in order to experience these types of