In her essay, unpacking the invisible knapsack, american feminist and activist, peggy mcintosh, explores the power of white privilege. This is my reflection on reading unpacking the invisible knapsack by peggy. Unpacking the invisible knapsack brings up the various advantages every white person gets without even realizing it. White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools, and blank checks. The earlham students essay, entitled unpacking the invisible knapsack ii sexual orientation. Through work to bring materials from womens studies into the rest of the curriculum, i have often noticed mens unwillingness to grant that they are overprivileged, even though they may grant that women are disadvantaged.
Through work to bring materials from womens studies into the rest of the curriculum, i have often noticed mens unwillingness to grant that they are overprivileged, even. I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that i can count on cashing in each day, but about which i was meant to remain oblivious. The activity helps teachers see various aspects of life through different cultural lenses, including their own, and improves cultural awareness and community building by checking. Race card and unpacking the invisible knapsack response. These dynamics are but a few examples of the privilege which straight people have. Unpacking the invisible knapsack, partnered with seed staff to develop seed as a way for educators and others to be leaders in their own learning and development. White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special. Unpacking peggy mcintoshs knapsack by william ray duration. The classic work unpacking the invisible knapsack by peggy mcintosh now holds a place in the modern liberal canon. First, it is argued that the rampant heterosexism in the u. Unpacking my white privilege southwestern college santa fe, nm. Unpacking the invisible knapsack this is a great activity to stimulate selfreflection by teachers related to multicultural education and relationshipbuilding. It is a selfconscious examination of unearned advantage in society from the perspective of a white person.
Unpacking the invisible knapsack is a mustread when thinking about privilege and oppression in terms of race. Through work to bring materials from womens studies into the rest of the curriculum, i. This reading was the first one i ever read on white privilege, and it left a huge impact on meas seen in my previous lesson plan posted where i call on mcintoshs ideas for my unpack the backpack activity. It can be an instrument used to gain success or a restraint causing my strife. It is further argued that educators elimination of the struggles and accomplishments of lesbian, gay. Unpacking the invisible backpack by peggy mcintosh through the work to bring materials from womens studies into the rest of the curriculum, i have often noticed mens unwillingness to grant that they are overprivileged, even though they may grant that women are disadvantaged. The document white priviledge unpacking the invisible. Unpacking the invisible knapsack by peggy mcintosh i was taught to see racism only in individual. Response to unpacking the invisible knapsack white privilege is said to be a problem of race in todays society. Combine that with white privilege, and white fragility, and.
My opinion of this article i absolutely agree with the author regarding her points that we do not live in an entirely equal society. Unpacking the invisible knapsack by peggy mcintosh. Daily effects of straight privilege this is an opportunity to consider the automatic and often invisible tools, resources, conditions, experiences, and preference you enjoy based on identifying as straight or heterosexual. Daily effects of straight privilege pdf file is online at the teach lbgtq website maintained by the lgbtq study group of the ucla writing project. In the essay, unpacking the knapsack, peggy mcintosh contracts multiple rhetorical strategies to contain her readers to validate her claim about racism as well as privilege. Unpacking the invisible knapsack ii sexual orientation. At the end of the activity, students should be able to. Jul 08, 20 they provide a variety of social and economic benefits, and can be cashed in, to confer greater power, authority, and status upon whites. Unpacking the invisible knapsack, is a critical tool that has been used with conversation participants to raise awareness of racism and white privilege. Unpacking the invisible knapsack center for civic reflection. Peggy mcintosh, a white woman, wrote the influential essay white privilege.
Unpacking the invisible knapsack in the late 1960s, civil rights activists, social workers, and educators began using a variety of techniques encounter groups, classroom curricula, t groups, small group discussions, and sensitivity training designed to break through whites wall of denial. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Jan 16, 2012 i didnt know it at the time, but peggy mcintoshs unpacking the invisible knapsack is kind of a classic of antiracist thought. For the primary part of my project, i decided to combine interests in. Unpacking the invisible knapsack, based on racial inequality. Unpacking the invisible knapsack originally appeared in peace and freedom magazine, julyaugust, 1989, pp. Mar 19, 2012 peggy mcintoshs article white privilege.
Her basic idea was to inform the readers that whites are taught to ignore the fact that they enjoy social privileges that people of color do. Basically she shows that racism is a part of everyday life and lists 26 situations in which white people have a privilege that is not easily thought of when one thinks about racism. If you prefer to download and read the paper as a pdf, here is a link. The wellesley centers for women is a premier women and genderfocused, socialchange oriented researchandaction institute at wellesley college. Our mission is to advance gender equality, social justice, and human wellbeing through high quality research, theory, and action programs.
Unpacking the invisible knapsack i was taught to see racism oniy in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group. Sep 23, 2012 as sociologist peggy mcintosh argues in white privilege. Pdf no knapsack of invisible privilege for esl university students. I didnt know it at the time, but peggy mcintoshs unpacking the invisible knapsack is kind of a classic of antiracist thought. Mar 16, 2014 this entry was posted in curriculum, uncategorized and tagged multiculturalism, peggy mcintosh, unpacking the invisible knapsack, white privilege on march 16, 2014 by lpahomov. Reading this article again, and joining in an event by the diversity. I can if i wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time. Unpacking the invisible knapsack by peggy mcintosh i was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group daily effects of white privilege i decided to try to work on myself at least by identifying some of the daily effects of white privilege in my life. This activity is prompts all students to explore the manifestations of white privilege, as well as the manifestations of one additional kind of privilege they themselves hold. Anyone who wishes to reproduce more than 35 copies of this article must apply to the author, dr. It was written as a way to explore and explain how race and color afford certain privileges and disadvantages in society, much in the same way that she had found in her womens studies work at wellesly college. This article was originally published in the spring 2000 issue of the cfts newsletter, teaching forum. I was taught, she writes, to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group. White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools.
Peggy mcintosh wrote an essay in 1989 called, white privilege. She contributes ethos, pathos, and logos to convince the readers to accept her claims, and these claims slowly build up her thesis. Feb 15, 2016 how studying privilege systems can strengthen compassion. Sexual orientation daily effects of straight privilege this article is based on peggy mcintoshs article on white privilege and was written by a number of straightidentified students at earlham college who got together to look at some examples of straight privilege. The invisible knapsack is a term coined by peggy mcintosh in her essay, white privilege. What do we have in our daily lives that gives us such an advantage. To prove this power, mcintosh writes out a list of daily effects of white privilege in her life, including never being asked to speak on behalf of all people in a particular racial group, easily renting or purchasing housing, and the ability to swear. Unpacking the invisible knapsack, white privilege is akin to an invisible package of unearned assets that whites can count on cashing in each day. It wraps around my shoulders and presses down upon my life. Mcintosh argues that the unearned resources carried in the invisible knapsack are not in broad view or intended to be seen. She is the founder of the national seed project on inclusive curriculum seeking educational equity and diversity. Peggy mcintosh, author of the classic paper, white privilege. Unpacking the invisible knapsack peggy mcintosh through work to bring materials from womens studies into the rest of the curriculum, i have often noticed mens unwillingness to grant that they are overprivileged, even though they may grant that women are disadvantaged.
Several unearned benefits attending straight privilege are listed, prefaced by two main arguments. This article is based on peggy mcintoshs article on white privilege. Unpacking the invisible knapsack ii lgbtq2s toolkit. Information about the openaccess article unpacking the invisible knapsack. Unpacking the invisible knapsack, these privileges are usually invisible to people who benefit from. It has been used in workshops and classes throughout the united states and canada for many years. Unpacking the invisible knapsack peggy mcintosh 1989 denials male privilege and white privilege are denied and therefore they are never fully acknowledged and their power is protected. She formulates an analogy, letting the concept of white privilege be symbolized by a knapsack an invisible, weightless knapsack full of special provisions, maps. Peggy mcintosh through work to bring materials from womens studies into the rest of the curriculum, i. Unpacking the invisible knapsack, perhaps the most succinct analysis of white privilege yet written. Ive revised this post, so some of the older comments on it may no longer apply. Peggy mcintosh, associate director of the wellesley college center for research on women, visited vanderbilt and gave a series of presentations, including the womens centers annual margaret cuninggim lecture, on feb.
I think the term white privilege is very offensive to so many people. The documentwhite priviledge unpacking the invisible knapsack. Unpacking the invisible knapsack, peggy mcintosh talks about the various privileges white people receive. As just one example, mcintosh notes that she can go shopping alone most of the time, well assured she will not be followed or harassed. Although this article is now over 20 years old, i have to admit, prior to this read and the dialogue that followed, i had often considered how some people face oppression but i. Unpacking the invisible knapsack is an essay written by petty mcintosh about what it means and what it looks like when one benefits from white privilege. Unpacking the invisible knapsack peggy mcintosh i was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group describing white privilege makes one newly accountable. Unpacking the invisible knapsack, peggy mcintosh discusses systemic racism in the united states that works to advantage whites and disadvantage people of color. There is no such thing as white privilege, but only the skewed perception that success is simply handed to a person because they are white. I believe that the heterosexual, white male is far more advantaged than a. Unpacking the invisible knapsack, peggy mcintosh is a white woman who decided to work on herself by identifying effects of white privilege in her life.
Unpacking the invisible knapsack by peggy mcintosh, there is the discussion of white privilege being some sort of invisible benefit that accompanies whites while they remain oblivious to it. Unpacking the invisible knapsack and some notes for. Unpacking the invisible knapsack peggy mcintosh i was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group through work to bring materials from womens studies into the rest of the curriculum, i have often. How to unpack the invisible knapsack in high school. No knapsack of invisible privilege for esl university. The essay, published in 1988, likens the founding privileges upon which american institutions are built to an invisible package of unearned assets and unpacks those assets in terms of power, identity and selfimage. I am not in the classroom, but i am wondering how ifhow classroom teachers can fit these excellentnecessary lessons in with the amount of time required to devote to test prep for. How many statements did you answer yes to in the gender identity section. I have come to see white privilege as invisible package on unearned assets that i can count on cashing in each day, but about which i was meant to remain oblivious.
The invisible knapsack here is my knapsack that i carry upon my back, it is filled with what defines me, but the contents you can not always see. Unpacking the invisible knapsack by peggy mcintosh this article is now considered a classic by antiracist educators. Like an invisible knapsack of special provisions, assurances, tools, maps, guides, codebooks, passports, visas, clothes, compass, emergency gear, and blank checks. When i began unpacking unpacking the invisible knapsack, i thought i would be unpacking whiteness theory. From portland community colleges whiteness history month. Unpacking the invisible knapsack from the outset of the paper, mcintosh points out the fact that whites are taugt to see racism in individual acts of meanness, not in individual systems conferring dominance on my group.
Unpacking the invisible knapsack first appeared in peace and freedom magazine, julyaugust, 1989, pp. I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems. During my masters program a few years ago, one of the articles we were assigned to read was white privilege. How many statements did you answer yes to in the sexual orientation section. Peggy mcintosh born november 7, 1934 is an american feminist, antiracism activist, scholar, speaker, and senior research scientist of the wellesley centers for women. Denial prevents us from lessening or ending these forms of oppression.
1133 456 1294 1220 960 175 693 725 74 373 1523 672 300 30 555 161 922 1435 292 458 276 701 797 1254 672 626 117 739 528 461 1228 1203 114 1179 1080