Analysis Of White Privilege Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack

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“I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group,” Peggy McIntosh wrote in her article White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. Too often this country lets ignorance be a substitute for racism. Many believe that if it is not blatant racism, then what they are doing is okay. Both the video and the article show that by reversing the terms, there is proof that racism is still very existent in this world. By looking into A Class Divided and White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack along with their ability to broaden the cultural competence, once can see how race is still very prominent in our culture.
In 1968 after the assassination of Marin Luther King …show more content…

Blue eyed people are better than brown eyed people. Because of this, the brown eyed people will not talk to blue eyed people on the playground. Brown eyed people do not receive the five extra minutes of recess along with no right to use the drinking fountain. The brown eyed children are given a collar to wear to differentiate them. One of the brown eyed students explained her day by stating, “…you felt like you didn’t even want to try to do anything.” The second day, the students switched roles. First, Mrs. Elliott noticed that one of the blue eyed students did not wear his glasses. He was showing off his eye color. Once the blue eyed students put the collar on, everything changed. The teacher watched as the brown eyed students shaved three minutes off of their time for the flashcard activity. When asked why this happened, one of the students mentioned, “We just kept thinking about those collars.” Without the collars, they felt smarter. The blue eyed students also did a noticeably worse job on the second day. Mrs. Elliot quoted, “I watched wonderful, thoughtful children turn into nasty, vicious, discriminating little third graders.” Before the simulation began, Mrs. Elliot asked a few questions determining the importance of Black people …show more content…

Peggy McIntosh wrote this article to identify how her white privilege effects her life. Each statement is written as a privilege that Ms. McIntosh does not need to consider or fear as a white woman. From financial credibility to national heritage, this article makes a valid point regarding the way white people can be arrogant and naïve when the same treatment is not being given to their neighbors, coworkers, and peers. There can be two responses when reading this. The first would be a person of color. They will appreciate the attempt at realization of what white people take for granted. The second would be the reality that smacks the white people in the face when they realize how true all 50 statements are. Once this begins to sink in, many will start to broaden their competence realizing the unfair treatment of the people in this world. Moving down the timeline, we can see how the acknowledgement can mend broken relationships. Owning the reality and doing something to change it can give the people of different races the treatment they deserve (McIntosh,

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