Week 5 Readings
Having always considered myself as being very accepting and never a racist, I’ve just come to realise just how white I really am.
Peggy Mcintosh describes white privilege as an “invisible package of unearned assets,” that not only places whites at an advantage but also places non-whites with a direct disadvantage.
This previous ignorance of my own white privilege was probably due to the fact of the institutionalised mindset which suppresses this self-recognition.
I also find myself feeling strangely uncomfortable at times with readings of this nature, as I am just now exposed to commentaries which question the legitimacy of taboo subjects such as this.
Even upon commencement of this topic I’ve been taking a certain solace in knowing that I have always taken an interest in indigenous culture. But I had never reflected upon the fact even if I didn’t think twice about the subject, no judgement would be passed upon me, nor any pressure exerted on me to think or act otherwise.
Thus the cycle of reinforcing white privilege and the dominant opinion carries on with the majority of the population living in a blissful ignorance.
This is why I firmly agree with Jenny Tannoch Bland’s statement that “through exposing our white race privilege to one another we can begin to unpack and unlearn racism.”
As educators we should be on the front line of this movement, seeking to repress ignorance and racial dominance, whilst empowering children with awareness and empathy for the people who were not born with an “Invisible Knapsack of special provisions and blank cheques.”
The Essay on White Privilege 2
Racism has been prevalent for centuries. And it has been an issue that requires action for just as long. Racism is defined as a system of advantage based on race. Due to this racism, white people are those that receive the greatest advantage. White privilege is the term given to that advantage. According to Peggy McIntosh, “white privilege is an invisible package of unearned assets” (McIntosh, 1). ...
