White Privilege/Peggy McIntosh

Alrighty, i read both of the articles we were assigned to read for class Tuesday and i decided the one i found most interesting was Peggy McIntosh's "White Privilege".
Peggy McIntosh talked about a lot of important topics. She focused of male dominence, privilege of both white males and females, and she also came up with a list of conditions that she as a white, privileged person doesn't have to worry about. There were some very interesting conditions on that list.
McIntosh first focused on a males role in the world. And it fascinating some of the things she was saying. Most seemed true. She stated early on in her article that men will not "grant that they are overprivileged, even though they may grant that women are disadvantaged". Which is true at times, because men can be extrememly closed minded. She also stated that "men gain from women's disadvantages". I can also imagine this to be true as well. She also believes that "whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege". I can understand this, for example; when someone may give you a compliment, sometimes people can't take it, or just say thank you. Some people try to act as though that's wrong or it isn't true. If a white person is rich, and they know it and the people surrounding them know it, it's no use to try and deny it.
When McIntosh began to talk about certain "conditions" i was interested in what she had to say, and as i read them some of them applied to me. For example, conditionn number 5, " i can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented." I do relate to this condition, considering the fact that i am White and i can watch many television shows that have white characters that i can relate to. Another condition that i found interesting was number 23 "I can choose public accommodations without feating that people of my race cannot get in or will be mistreated in the places i have chosen." This reminds me of back during the big racial tension back in the 1960's when dining establishments were allowed to refuse service to people that they did not want to serve. I however, being a white person, do not have to worry about that ever. And that is very unfortunate, i wish that it could just be equal for everyone.



Kelsey

Hey Everyone! Here's my blog. I'm really enjoying FNED, and so far it's a very interesting class. It's awesome to finally be in a class where the issues discussed are issues that affect us all. And i'm really looking forward to volunteering at my placement. Okay, that's all for now! : )