"White Privilege"

Peggy McIntosh makes an interesting argument about how white privelege is in many ways similar to male privilege. Males feel that they are the dominant sex and that inherently they are given special priveleges that women to do not have. Whereas, as Elizabeth Minnich states "Whites are taught to think of their lives as morally neutral, normative, and average, and also ideal, so that when we work to benefit others, this is seen as work which will allow 'them' to be more like us." White privelege is something that is talked about a lot but usually shunned by the majority because there are many people who believe that racism does not exist. Reality Check!! Racism still exists but in more subtle forms than it did in the Civil Rights era and previous years.

The list that McIntosh constructed clearly points out the advantages that she has in her daily life based on the color of her skin. She sees these priveleges as unique to her race. One advantage that stood out the most to me was the fact that when she gets pulled over by the police, she can assure that it was not because of her race. We hear stories all over the news about racial profiling and the police. As a black person, I find this article refreshing because it allows me to see that there are people who feel that they are given an advantage because of their skin color.

I also agree with McIntosh when she states that "the oblivousness about white advantage...is kept strongly in the United States so as to maintain the myth of meritocracy." I feel that most people in privileged positions are not aware of their privilege so blame cannot be placed upon them for what society rules as favorable, but I think that more people should be educated about not only other races but other people in general.