Patterns Of White Privilege

Growing up in the United States, racism is an issue one cannot help but hear about at one point or another. Racial inequality and discrimination is a topic that comes up every February with Black History Month, and is often talked about in high school history classes around the country. But that is what it is considered to the majority of people: history. Most students are taught that, while there are still and will always be individual cases of racial discrimination and racism, nationally the problem ended with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. People of color, however, will often tell you differently. At least that is what they told Tim Wise,

According to Peggy McIntosh, an American feminist and anti-racism activist, whites are convinced that they carry an “invisible knapsack”, which allow them several privileges that African American or other ethnicities don’t have. In her article “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” McIntosh describe a long list of white privileges such as, ”When I go shopping, store detectives don’t follow me” and “…people of my race are positively presented on television or papers”. They believe that the fact of being whites automatically makes them less suspicious of wrongdoing (McIntosh, 152). The American philosopher John Berteaux, a specialist in social ethics and philosophy of race agree with McIntosh about the wrong believe that whites have about some privileges embedded in the race, “Most white people don’t question their race or it’s privileges; they simple take them for granted” (Rosenstand, 373). In other words, whites believe that the skin color is what makes a race better that the other, giving some people more rights that to the others.

During this quarter I contributed at least 3 to 4 days, if not more of the week to Sociology, which included spending time reading assigned chapters, submitting weekly quizzes and sharing my thoughts on weekly discussion posts. Sociology on a whole is very interesting, since it covers topics that relate to the real world and is easily relatable. Some of the topics that I thought were really thought provoking were the concept of the white privilege and looking at it using a sociological imaginative approach. The documentary white people shed lights at looking at the concept of white privilege from different perspectives not just from non-white individuals and being non-white myself I got a glimpse of what the whites thought about their privilege

While the world continues to sway between left and right – the message and humanity gets lost in politics. The world needs a change of consciousness from the current status quo of white privilege and continuation of colonisation to a more measured return to morals and value systems based on decency and protecting the vulnerable. The height of white privilege is being able to ignore president trump’s white supremacy, because it is of no threat to white people, but it is a threat to many other Americans.

-The one that caught my eye was #20 “I can easily buy posters,post-cards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys, and children’s magazines featuring people of my race.”

Wise’s examination of the inconspicuous character of racism 2.0 dovetails fittingly with our course’s recurring theme of institutionalized racism. In class lectures we have defined institutionalized racism as the discriminatory practices that have become regularized and routinized by state agencies, organizations, industries, or anywhere else in society. Although such practices might not be intentionally racist, they end up being racist nevertheless as consequence of the systematized and unspoken biases that have become increasingly convoluted and entrenched within society over time. It also doesn’t help white people to recognize these discriminatory practices considering they have been unconsciously tailored to be consistent with white perspective and mentality. In her article, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, Peggy McIntosh examines not only how white folks often consider themselves to be a normative figure within society, but also how they are carefully taught not to recognize the advantages they gain from the disadvantages that impair people of color. In the article, McIntosh acknowledges the reality of her own white privilege and expresses, “In my class and place, I did not see myself as a racist because I was taught to recognize racism only in individual acts of meanness by members of my group, never in invisible systems conferring unsought racial dominance on my group from birth” (McIntosh 4). In fact, even if white folks do not believe themselves to

Both of these excerpts are expressing visibility. The “White Privilege” article expressed visibility by trying to show whites about unseen racial and gender issues. One thing of the many things that frustrated me was when it was written. I looked up the publication date, which was 1988. I found that her arguments were old and seemed redundant. I feel this way because she didn’t really didn’t show way she felt the way she did. She didn’t really change my feelings on this because she only wrote her essay in one perspective, which doesn’t seem accurate to me. She tries to make a big deal about racial inequality, but she doesn’t make a firm stand on her perspective. She focuses on many different issues, and not on one. The condition she states

I recently read a news article that almost seemed like satire to me. It was about how a Connecticut town’s diversity council held an essay contest and its prompt was to discuss how white privilege had impacted the lives of people in the town. As you could expect from a predominantly white, suburban town, the essay contest received backlash. The public was outraged and became defensive. One of the people in the town is quoted in saying, “‘There are no barricades here. Nobody says if you are black or whatever, you can’t move here’” (Theroot.com). The sheer oblivion and refusal to discuss the existence of racism in a primarily white town is the epitome of white privilege.

The sad reality is White privilege is very prevalent in the United States and has been for the past hundreds of years not to say that there has not been improvement. This is a very touchy subject where emotions runs deep many people who do not see it as an issue do not believe that White privilege exists. I do not think it is always done purposely the way society is set up many do not realize what they are doing or some may not even care. When watching the video about the resume experience it was sad to hear the same resume with different names the jobs called back the less ethnic name and how it was estimated that it would take five weeks longer for the person to find a job that was not white. Additionally saying a person who has an ethnic

I as a minority will forever see them the same because we have been trying for so long to get what is concerned white privilege. We want for once have white people want what we have, as much as what we want that they have. However, white privilege individuals may disagree on what I am saying, due to the fact that white individuals believe we get extra scholarships offers and government help offers. This in result creates a conflict that white individuals will never comprehend. What white people do not know is that white individuals in fact get more of these offers given to them than what a minority individual receives. This was a discussion in the course that for a second made me happy that minorities were at least being offer something

White privilege is the concept that white people such as those in the United States have not only more rights, but more opportunities in their lives that will make them more successful throughout their lives. In the United States you will find that in some job markets whites are more likely to get hired than other minority groups. Also you will find that on average white employees may be paid more on average than their minority colliges.

This paper is about my reflection of White Privilege in the United States. I got my information from four resources. The first resource was the handout provided for this assignment; White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, by Peggy McIntosh. The second resource was the website, www.jstor.com. Access is provided via Northeastern State University as a resource for peer-reviewed articles. Thirdly, the textbook, Cultural Diversity, by Jerry Diller was used as a resource. The fourth resource is the most important, in my opinion. That resource is my mind. This is an opinion/reflection paper; therefore the mind of the author is most

How does one define a phenomenon that they are oblivious to? To answer this question, it is necessary to explore the spectacle of the hidden perspectives of racism. McIntosh described white privilege as “an invisible package of unearned assets” that are “meant to remain oblivious” (2016, p. 151). Most whites are raised to live their life with a sense of individuality and a mindset of moral neutrality that gives them the privilege to present themselves as fresh, unique and original, thus in return not to be racially stereotyped (DiAngelo, 2016, p. 176). Most whites by choice lead a life of segregation, living in mostly white neighborhoods, schools, work forces, and entertainment sources.

I think acknowledging privilege matter. I think white people have more privilege than any other skin color people. I would like to describe privilege as an advantage given to people. They can use them anywhere without fearing of anything. Being born in a white rich family also have many advantages in the society. You don’t have to worry about anybody questioning you. I think white people have a different life comparing to other people. I think it is better for white people to acknowledge their privilege. How can you acknowledge privilege without doing anything to lessen or end it? Acknowledge means to accept the truth. If you accept the truth and do nothing about it is meaningless. Acknowledgment can have a big impact in our life. We all know white people always had and always will have the same privilege so it’s better for them to accept it. For example-You are a black person. You are inside the store buying candy without any intention. Even you are just trying to buy candy why the cashier always look at you as if you are stealing something. A white person who was doing the exact activity the cashier would not even look twice to him. “Why always privilege to white people?” “Why negative thinking to another race?” I think white people should accept the truth and should respect their privilege. They always should use their privilege in the right way. They are fortunate to have all this white privilege.

Before I modify or add to Mcintosh’s daily effects of white privilege, I think it important to explain the view point that I was brought up in. This is not intended to be racial, as some could turn it into but I think that my perspective as a 55 year old white male raised in southeastern Ohio needs to be considered. I lived through the 1960’2, and went to school with only 1 back family in my high school. I never saw or heard of any of that black family having any type of problems in anyway. I was never around any people of color until I was in the work force, where I found myself around all people of color. I wanted to get to know them and made many friends with all I came into contact with. I have never seen with my own eyes any type of discrimination ever. Although I have family who have worked for companies that use affirmative action. They have watched as people got hired because of color, and then took advantage of it. They would sleep on the job, and not do their assigned work, just because they knew that the company would not fire them in order for the company to maintain a certain level of minorities’, both people of color, and women. And if you were both a women and a person of color you had what would amount to diplomatic immunity. I personally feel that we should do as the Ohio State marching Band does. The band puts the best on the field every game. You can go to any football game and watch the band, and see about 20 band members standing at attention, while the