"White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" by Peggy McIntosh

Quotes:
1. "I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets which i can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was 'meant' to remain oblivious."
When I read this sentence, I was immediately reminded of Allan Johnson's "Privilege, Power, and Difference." White privilege is innate, meaning that we are born with it. We are not meant to pay attention to this fact, and many of us don't give it a thought unless provoked by a writer such as Peggy McIntosh. Personally, I know that I don't think about how, just because I'm white, I have more privileges than an African American person until reading this piece and others like it.
2. "Individual acts can palliate, but cannot end, these problems."
Once again, I am reminded of Johnson's piece. In order for our society to change, everyone has to put forth an effort, not only those who are experiencing racism. As Johnson states, we must "feel obligated to make the problem of privilege [our] problem and do something about it." Those who have this so-called "power" are not likely candidates for trying to stop this problem. If you are in power, why would you want to give it up, even if it meant that EVERYONE would have completely equal opportunities?
3. "To redesign social systems we need first to acknowledge their colossal unseen dimensions."
This quote also reminds me of Johnson's piece. We have to be willing to accept that white privilege is out there and once we do, we need to be willing to do something about it. These problems are not talked about - the quote-unquote silenced dialogue, one of the main ideas Lisa Delpit explores in her book, Other People's Children. Since it is never talked about, many are unaware of the size of this problem. We tend to acknowledge that racism occurs today, but we don't know the half of it. Only after we talk about the injustices African Americans and other termed racial others face will we ever understand how great of a problem this is.

Questions/Comments/Points to Share:
As previously noted, I found this article to be very similar to Johnson's "Privilege, Power, and Difference." I liked that the author included a list of ways that white privilege effect her life. This is similar to the lists Johnson presents in his piece on white, gender, and heterosexual privilege. I never thought about the ways in which I experience white privilege in my daily life until I read these lists. Gender privilege is often discussed, but white privilege is hardly ever mentioned. I come from a small town that is primarily white. In my graduating class of 143, there was one African American student, one Chinese student, and one Arabic student. The other 140, including myself, were white. Because of this, I have not been exposed to racism and I have not been made aware of how big a problem white privilege is.