White Privilege Essay

White privilege is a concept that many people are unfamiliar with, but not because they do not benefit from it. In the paper “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh argues that white people have an advantage over those of other races, though most are completely unaware of it or simply take it for granted. Her recognition of white privilege came from the concept of male privilege. She says that she looked at that concept and realized there was certainly something similar to it in regards to race (McIntosh, 1988, 11). This paper has great importance to the function of society. Because many white people do not recognize their unfair and disproportionate advantage in society, racial tensions can rise even more because there is a major wall blocking people from fixing the current issues.

McIntosh used her own whiteness as a basis for forming this idea, which was an extremely effective way to take her standpoint. White privilege is a delicate topic, as many deny its existence and get defensive when

One example she gives is “I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.”(McIntosh, 1988, 12). Another is “I can be late to a meeting without having the lateness reflect on my race.”(McIntosh, 1988, 13). These are only a couple of the experiences that McIntosh lists in the article. The list itself is fifty points long, and does not repeat the same scenario twice. This is a good way to explain white privilege to someone who may not understand it, or may deny it all together. It gives a comprehensive list of proof that white privilege does exist, as the experiences on it are certainly advantageous and relatively universal to white people. The list is the most important part of the article, as it is an easy tool to help white people check and realize their