White Privilege Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack Analysis

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To begin, the first pivotal revelation is the concept of white privilege. White Privilege, as Peggy McIntosh defines in her essay, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”, is a toolkit of unearned assets that a white person in America can cash in each day yet remain oblivious to their benefits. Prior to this course, though aware of certain advantages as a “white” person in society, I was unaware of the official terminology for these advantages. Also, as a person with one quarter American Indian blood I’m classified as a minority, however, I’m able to blend into “white society” because I’m also one-half Italian American. Indeed, the valuable teachable moment, “The Race”, demonstrates the advantages for people possessing privilege …show more content…
Hence, I found myself in the rears, though not as far behind the line as other cohorts. As a result, I felt shame, though I finished further back than I envisioned. Nonetheless, I take pride in the success I’ve achieved given the disadvantages I’ve overcome in life. Albeit, through this exercise I learned I’ll continually be lagging those possessing a greater degree of white privilege than I have. Also, people may exert an exorbitant amount of effort making great strides, yet they simply won’t arrive at the front of the line. The activity on the first day of class demonstrates this as well, dividing us according to genetic physical features (the separation/stereotyping exercise). For example, right or left handedness, or dangling earlobes, both beyond our control, yet used to categorize and assign people in hierarchical order. The third class example, is the film “A Girl Like Me”, where African American girls speak about their desire to understand their heritage. I had an epiphany at this moment, as an Italian American I know precisely which ship my great grandmother immigrated to the United States on, not as a slave, yet as a free woman. The young women in the film explain their knowledge of their history is absent as a consequence of
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