UNPACKING THE INVISIBLE KNAPSACK CITATION SKIN
It also means having the same and equal opportunities with everyone despite the differences in ethnic background and skin color. On the last part of the essay, the author encourages white people to recognize white privilege because it hinders the country’s goal to promote equality.Įquality means that privileges are ensured to those who earn it through hard work. As such, many white Americans continue to deny or choose to ignore its existence. Recognizing that being white brings many advantages to a person is affirming that there indeed is a myth of meritocracy in this country. Because of the existence of white privileges, the idea that life is what one makes is now considered as a false belief. Our nation projects itself as a land of limitless opportunities to every individual who works hard for his dreams. Meritocracy is very important in achieving the “American dream”. With this, an important point raised by the author is the reason why the recognition of white privileges remains to be denied or unrecognized is because it invalidates the idea of meritocracy in the country. In order to achieve genuine equality in this country, the author suggests that white people must be made aware of the “hidden” advantages that white people enjoy to comprehend the deep division among different races and culture in American society. However, what they do not know is that one must recognize the existence of such privileges to fully understand the dynamics of racism. As such, average white Americans feel that condemning racism is enough to achieve equality. Instead, its presence remains to be denied and protected by political leaders or other people because they benefit from the system and continue to dominate it. It is through listing her daily experiences of white privilege that the author was able to unpack the “invisible knapsack” of a privileged white person in American society.Īccording to her, it was hard to recognize the existence of the concept simply because the manifestations of white privileges do not come into a visible form of racist violence and outright discrimination. Because of this, they feel excluded from the participation and discussion about our nationhood. On the other hand, minority groups such as African Americans or Native Americans suffer from the lack of representation. Learning that the founding fathers of the nation belong to white American race gives white people the sense of pride and accomplishment that their own race made this country great. According to her, one example of an unearned privilege of a white person is the representation and attention that the “white race” gets in different media specifically whenever American nationhood is often featured. To clarify the rather complex idea of white privilege, the author listed 50 instances where she experience white privilege in her daily life. The author realized that, in this country, advantages already existent for someone who is born with the “right” skin color. United States- Race relations.In America, white people enjoy privileges in the society not so much because he/she does something to attain it but because it is bestowed upon him/her since birth. White people- United States- Social conditions. White people- Race identity- United States. Subject headings Privilege (Social psychology). How white people can serve as allies to people of color in the struggle to end racism / Paul Kivel. Breaking the silence / Beverly TatumĬonfronting one's own racism / Joe Feagin and Hernan Vera Membership has its privileges : thoughts on acknowledging and challenging whiteness / Tim Wise White privilege : unpacking the invisible knapsack / Peggy McIntosh Making systems of privilege visible / Stephanie M. The constraint of race / Linda Faye Williams The possessive investment in whiteness / George Lipsitz How Jews became white folks / Karen Brodkinīecoming Hispanic : Mexican Americans and whiteness / Neil Foley
The roots of racial classification / Philip C. Representations of whiteness in the Black imagination / bell hooks pt. Includes bibliographical references and index. Other contributors Rothenberg, Paula S., 1943- Notes White privilege : essential readings on the other side of racism / Paula S.
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