White Privilege Peggy Mcintosh\'s White

White Privilege

Peggy McIntosh's White Privilege is a moving article that should be required reading in American schools. A typical person of student-age today may see race (and gender) as relatively superficial distinctions that are recognized and respected in the sense of political correctness, but not necessarily that important to the lives of people or to society. On the other hand, most white students encountering or observing an African-American twice or three times their age would not necessarily appreciate the struggles that individual has encountered in this country strictly by virtue of his or her race.

The article has particular relevance to me for two reasons: First, I believe that the experiences of African-Americans with racism, especially prior to and during the infamous Civil Rights movement of the 1960s is more on my mind than it might be for many other white people, although I am not sure why that is. Long before taking this course, I found myself both fascinated and horrified that the violence and injustices perpetrated against African-Americans still occurred during my parent's lifetime. For example, when I see documentaries about the civil rights marches, the arrest of Dr. Martin Luther King, and the murder of African-Americans and of civil rights workers in the South, I always find myself calculating the ages of my parents at that exact time for perspective of how long ago, 1964 was, for example. Second, because I am a woman who has also experienced some analogous types of the prejudices detailed by the author in connection with race, I may be more able to appreciate the accuracy of her examples than someone who has never experienced being on the underprivileged side of society in any respect, such as a wealthy white male.

In my opinion, the piece does not necessarily lose its persuasive strength (or even apply less to gender inequality than it does to racial inequality) by virtue of the fact that the author does not attempt to explore genderism as thoroughly after introducing it at the outset. It certainly would have been easy enough to do in the same fashion, such as by including a list of similar list entitle "Daily effects of male privilege" that laid out privileges such as 1. I can dress to feel my most attractive without having to endure comments or outright suggestions questioning my sexual morality; 2. I can show up for a job that I have earned through my hard work without knowing that I have to overcome assumptions that I am less qualified than any other new hire; and 3. I can offer to help someone with a task like home repair or vehicle maintenance without eliciting either complete shock or appreciation that turns out to me much more patronizing than genuine. However, I also appreciate what the author refers to as the "advantages" of my status a female because I am much quicker to receive offers of assistance, for one example, should I drop something in public or have to fix a flat tire.