White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

Reading Check

1. McIntosh had witnessed men’s unwillingness or inability to see their privilege compared to women, and she realized that the same phenomenon might exist in the realm of race. (Paragraphs 1-2)

2. McIntosh describes white privilege as an “invisible package of unearned assets” that she and other white people can draw from whenever they need it. (Paragraph 3)

3. McIntosh lists 26 examples, including seeing people of her race represented on TV and in newspapers every day and having the ability to criticize the government without being labeled a “cultural outsider.” (Numbered list, items 5 and 17)

4. White people must not only disapprove of racist systems but acknowledge that these systems provide them with unearned privileges and commit to working for equity. (Paragraphs 19-22)

Short Answer

1. McIntosh describes how her study of male privilege led to her interest in white privilege and how, once she started thinking about it, she found more and more examples in her own life of how she benefits. She develops her list of examples by comparing her situation to that of her African American friends and colleagues. The list suggests that she thought about the issue over time, applying it to even small moments like going to a hairdresser and assuming they will be able to cut her hair.