White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

Peggy McIntosh

ARGUMENT:
The article I read is "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" by Peggy McIntosh who argues that the white population are instilled with an automatic set of privileges when they are born into the white community. Whereas the non-whites have to face all sorts of racism and challenges on a daily basis.

I personally am half African American and half Caucasian, so my life has been a little bit of both worlds you could say. To the general public I look like a black girl, but I grew up in a predominately white town and went to a predominately white high school so I have white friends and have been raised in a white community. Although this is where I am conflicted, I don't see why I am not entitled to white privileges because sometimes I see myself as white but I forget that I look black. So being mixed race has it's pros and cons, my siblings and I wouldn't even be alive if my parents didn't fight for what they believed in.

McIntosh says in the article that she is very likely to walk into a hairdresser's shop and find someone who can deal with her hair, because she is white and has white privileges. Well I can attest to that because since I am mixed race I haven't had the best luck with my hair. I have tried every type of shampoo and conditioner and almost every type of hair treatment to make it look somewhat presentable and manageable. I do feel that because of my race I have to search for the right hair treatments and products whereas if I was white it would be much simpler.

This site has some more white privileges like the ones McIntosh wrote in her article...
http://www.buzzfeed.com/michaelblackmon/17-harrowing-examples-of-white-privilege-9hu9