Running head: WHITE PRIVILEGE/ PEGGY MCINTOSH REFLECTION PAPER

White Privilege/ Peggy McIntosh Reflection Paper

Melinda Dwyer
Ivy Tech Community College

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INTASC Standard, Description and Rational

Standard #2 Learner Differences

The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities
to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.

Name of Artifact: White Privilege/ Peggy McIntosh Reflection Paper

Date: January 30, 2015
Course: EDUC 255

Brief Description: For this assignment I reread pages 18-20 in our textbook, Multicultural
Teaching. I also read an article, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy
McIntosh. Next, I watched the You Tube Clip- Peggy McIntosh. I took notes and examined the
content in each. I wrote my summaries of each and concluded with my personal reflection and
opinion.

Rationale:

To document my understanding of InTASC Standard 2, Learner Differences, I have

selected to include White Privilege/ Peggy McIntosh Reflection Paper. Understanding the ideas
of White privilege and the opinion of Peggy McIntosh helped me understand the diverse culture
and community of America. These materials also showed me the concern of many about the
White privilege idea. This examination of me as a teacher and reflecting on our society will
ensure inclusive learning environment that enable each learner to meet high standards.

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INTRODUCTION
I was astonished this week just like Peggy McIntosh was in 1980 when I began reading
the section, the article, and the You Tube Video. When I first began I almost couldnt finish it. I
have experienced racism and sexism and have disliked the hatred some in America have towards
others. I was extremely concerned at first I was going to read and watch materials supporting the
blaming and discrimination against Whites. I have experienced so many feeling that I and others
dislike, fear and mistreat others based on race, religion, gender, and choices. When I am
included with others that have these views without asking my personal opinion is a form of
stereotyping and prejudice. The subject of diversity and White privilege is a very emotionally
charged topic because of our American history. But, as I read and took notes, examined the
materials, and reflected I was able to see the lessons being taught. I grew throughout this
Assignment and took my time making sure I opened my heart and mind to this notion of White
Privilege.
SUMMARY OF THE TEXTBOOK
The section White Privilege in our textbook is on pages 18-20. It gives the definitions
of White privilege as the White people, as members of the dominant group as the standard
against which others are measured and defined as different. And that White people have
unearned advantages and privileges that others do not have (Tiedt and Tiedt, 2010). A statistic
that the book presented was that 85% of American teachers in K-12 come from White, middleclass backgrounds (Tiedt and Tiedt, 2010). But, clearly states how the classrooms are
increasingly diverse and that there is a mismatch between teachers and learners. The textbook
also suggests that exposure to the ideas of multiculturalism may not be enough to lead them
through the difficult processes required to rethink their assumptions, confront their biases, and

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learn how it feels to be an outsider. The textbook gives several examples of assumptions White
people take for granted and People of Color are not able to take for granted because of their
skin color. The textbook also encourages us to examine and recognize how much we rely on a
White, middle-class framework through which to see the world. After examining how we are
individually viewing the world through our lens we need to acquire the skills and knowledge
needed to operate in a multicultural world. Not only being able to operate in a multicultural
world, but also act on issues of social injustice while opening our hearts to share the world that
we live in (Tiedt and Tiedt, 2010).
SUMMARY OF THE ARTICLE
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, is an article by Peggy McIntosh. It
first explains her work in womens studies and the phenomenon of male privilege and hierarchies
in our society. She states that she is a white person who was taught that racism is something that
puts others at a disadvantage, but not taught that being white puts her at an advantage. She uses
the weightless full knapsack as an example of how she views white privilege as an invisible
package of unearned assets that she and other white people can count on cashing in each day.
The article continues with a list of 50 conditions she believes she can count on that her African
American coworkers cannot. Towards the end of the article Peggy McIntosh states that if these
conditions are true then this is not such a free country. She also expresses that the conditions are
not bad for the holder, but what one would want for everyone in a just society. She concludes
that these advantages and privileges should be spread to all people of races, nationalities,
religions, sexual orientation, physical abilities and ages.
SUMMARY OF THE YOU TUBE VIDEO

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The You Tube Video was a speech by Peggy McIntosh on how she wrote the 50
conditions of White Privilege. She explained it all began in 1980 after she read 2 essays
written by 2 Black women. She admitted she was first astonished by the essays, but that they
made her question her practices and her unearned privileges as a White woman. She believed
she had earned all that she had and asked if she had anything that she didnt earn by contrast with
her African American friends in the building, show me? This reflection of herself and
examination of our society led to the list of 50 conditions of White unearned advantages and
unearned privileges.
PERSONAL REFLECTION/ OPINION
My personal reflection is that I agree everyone has unearned advantages and unearned
privileges. These may be because of their skin color or their gender and maybe because of their
social class. Do I feel that these advantages and privileges are fair to only be associated with
people because of the color of their skin, of course not. It actually breaks my heart to know
some feel as if they cannot go to the store or be stopped by the police without fear or
discrimination. Reading some of the 50 conditions that people of color in the 1980s did not feel
they had the privilege to, absolutely tore me up inside. I agree with Peggy McIntosh that the
positive advantages or positive White Privileges should be experienced by all Americans.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, this assignment was tough to get past my fears and assumptions of white
blame, discriminating, and the victimizing of people of color. I took this assignment seriously
and examined my heart and learned that in order to be a multicultural educator I need to open my
mind and heart to understand the views and experiences of others. I also need to continue to

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stand firm against injustice and discrimination. It also confirmed my compassion and love for all
individuals of races, nationalities, religions, genders, ages and sexual orientations.

References
McIntosh, Peggy. (1988). Working Paper 189, White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal
Account of Coming to See Correspondences through Work in Womens Studies. Wellesley,

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MA: Wellesley College Center for Research on Women
Tiedt, Iris M. and Tiedt, Pamela L. (2010). Multicultural Teaching: A Handbook of Activities,
Information, and Resources 8th Edition. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon