White Privilege Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack Summary

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Growing up we often fail to recognize the ways in which we are privileged and the opportunities we are given due to these advantages. In the essay “White Privilege: Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack,” Peggy McIntosh discusses the privileges of being white and the ways she has experienced advantages because of her race. Throughout the essay, McIntosh allows readers to explore how she has been given opportunities due to specific traits she has in her “invisible knapsack”, privileges she once had taken for granted. As she shares her personal experiences throughout the essay she invites the reader to participate in discovering which items their knapsacks carry. Similar to McIntosh, I also have invisible items which have been unknowingly beneficial to me throughout my life. Until recently I have failed to recognize the impact these items have towards other aspects of my life. I have been gifted these privileges merely through inheritance. Some of the most profound characteristics I am especially grateful for are my gender and geographic location. These privileges that I have been given by chance have had cumulative effects on my life experiences. McIntosh begins her essay by displaying the gender …show more content…

Giving me opportunities I once lacked to realize. Similar to McIntosh, I notice how “women are disadvantaged” (31) and society doesn’t allow us to be seen as equals. Nevertheless, my gender has allowed me to become aware of the boundaries I must break, so I won’t be suppressed into a gender-specific career. I recognize the value of having a choice and the benefits of having the freedom to speak my mind. Additionally, my gender has taught me to find my voice and advocate for those who are unable to. The artifacts which my invisible backpack contains have enabled me to follow my dreams and become a teacher. For those reasons, I am sympathetic to those who have been neglected to recieve advantages I have been

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