Talking Points #1

Peggy McIntosh "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" Kaitlyn Paolino

1. "I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege." (Pg. 1)

I never thought I had "privilege" because I was white. However, after reading this quote, and seeing the connection to male privilege, I can see how I have not "recognized" it. Throughout my life, I have never been aware of this privilege and after reading the list on pages 1 and 2 of this reading I realized that there is such thing as white privilege and that I take part in it because for the most part I am unaware of it.

2. "26. I can choose blemish cover or bandages in "flesh" color and have then more or less match my skin." (Pg. 2)

This may not be a big "privilege", however, it still is one that exists in society today. Furthermore, it's one I never thought anything of and just went on with life subliminally thinking this is the color of flesh. However, this was wrong. There are many colors of skin in our world and I think that it's extremely wrong to have this bandage labeled as "flesh" color. It makes me wonder what black children feel like when they see bandages labeled "flesh" color but it doesn't match their own skin. This is just another way of showing people of other races that whites still think they have privilege but pretend they don't see it.

3. "We usually think of privilege as being a favored state, whether earned or conferred by birth or luck." (Pg. 3)

I usually do think of privilege as this. If I see someone who I feel has privilege in some area of life, I usually think it's because it runs in the family or it was earned through luck or hard work. However, after reading this by Peggy McIntosh I have a different perspective of privilege. For example, going back to the "flesh" colored bandage, that shows privilege which was not earned by luck or through birth. It is just a color that whites have labeled as "flesh" without thinking of the many other races in our world.

After reading this article, I have a different perspective of privilege then I did before. In the beginning, McIntosh does a great job of connecting white privilege to male privilege, which helped explain what it meant to pretend you don't have privilege. It also showed me how I never realized it myself, and it happens everyday. Furthermore, the list of privileges McIntosh said she has experienced or doesn't have to worry about was eye opening. Many of these things I have never thought twice about, such as "6. When I am told about our national heritage or about "civilization," I am shown that people of my color made it what it is" (Pg.2). Throughout all my years of schooling, this is how I have seen it; there are others on the list that made me realize I do have this privilege as well.

This reading was interesting. It gave me a new perspective and also related back to our previous readings. For example in the Delpit reading, black men and women shared their experiences and the trouble they have with being respected and heard. This reading on white privilege helped me realize it still is present, and it's not just earned by birth or luck. People in our world may not or choose not to recognize this problem and because of this nothing will be solved. Like Johnson said in his reading, everyone needs to be a part of the solution.