White Privilege; Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

White Privilege; Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

Peggy McIntosh

Reflection

While reading Peggy McIntosh’s piece “White Privilege; Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” the concept of SCWAAMP really started sinking in. It’s like when I start reading more and more of these articles everything I have ever believed to be true about America-it being a melting pot of differences, everyone being welcomed no matter color, gender, religion, et- that concept is washed away and a new vision of segregation and racism comes to mind. McIntosh’s article listed out many ways she has white privilege in her life. Now I could sit here and list out everyone that related to me but then I would be relisting her entire article. That scared me, how because of one minor detail of my body I am thought of as having more “privilege” than someone who has maybe two shades of darker skin. Everything McIntosh was saying was true and got me wondering and questioning how I have never made this realization before.

            I’m going to focus in on a few points of her article that I can recall situations of my personal life to. Point number 12- “I can swear, or dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty, or the illiteracy of my race.” Now my brother has an obsession with shopping at Savers, the second hand store, and he always finds really nice, but cheap things. Sometimes I go with him and I even found an Ed Hardy t-shirt for five dollars. I never have really thought as that concluding to other people that I am poor but after reading this article and thinking about this when I see people of Hispanic race or African American race in a second hand store I sometimes think savers is all they can afford, but is that racist of me? I mean I am making an assumption but are they making an assumption that maybe I am a poor white person? Sure most of those people aren’t even poor but white privilege makes it seem like they are.

            I’m going to relate to one more point, point 25- “If my day, week, or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it has racial overtones.” One week last year I got two tickets, one for running a red lights in providence, and one for doing 40 in a 30, I couldn’t buy a book I needed for school because I was borrowing my brother’s credit card and they wouldn’t let me use it because the name didn’t match my ID, and I got a flat tire on the way up to visit my friend. Now not once did I think “It’s because I’m white” but I’m sure if I was of a different race I would think differently. Maybe that cop only pulled me over because I was black, maybe they thought that I stole that credit card, etc, but none of those things ran through my head but I’m sure they would of if I was black, or Latino, or Hispanic, etc.

            The last thing I want to mention isn’t from McIntosh; it’s from the article “Data Show Racial Bias Persists in America” and the part where a person who has a “white” name is more likely to get an interview over a “black” name. This is white privilege and I have witnessed it firsthand. I have a lot to do with setting up interviews at my job along with a manager, Melissa, who has final say. The other week we were in desperate need to hire some more people, Melissa and I looked through probably a hundred applications and she would read a name then make a judgment on just that, I found it troubling to sit there with her since she thought that a name was more important than anything else but it just goes to show you how white privilege is used.

In class I want to discuss how not many people realize this and how we can just go on living our lives as if none of this ever happens, I don't fathom it and I just would like to hear other's opinions on it.