White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh | Learn with Me
Privilege is the upside of oppression.
Invisible Privilege exists because there are two sides to every coin — oppression is both something that works against someone and something that works for yourself / to your advantage.
What Invisible Privilege looks like:
- You have a bigger range of options available to you (if you so wish); having the privilege is irrespective of whether you exercise the privilege.
- Not having to think about or be conscious of your ethnicity, gender, sexuality, health, etc. is a privilege.
- Expecting appreciation or thanks for being nice to people you have been taught to look down on is a privilege.
Here’s a fun thought experiment to identify your own privileges: Would your family and friends approve of you dating or marrying just anyone in your society? And if not, who are the people that are arguably seen as being “below you”? This could be a matter of race, occupation, education, gender, appearance, (dis)ability, etc.
Disclaimer: My book/ article summaries contain the main ideas I found interesting or relevant to my own life. They are often a mix of direct quotes, personal interpretations and reflections. There’s likely a bias towards capturing only the essential and focusing on actionable advice, which are in line with my principles of learning with intention, and learning for application.
Read the full article by Peggy McIntosh here.
