Peggy McIntosh: White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
Peggy's Thoughts
"I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group" (White Privilege)
Quotes
"I began to count the ways in which I enjoy unearned skin privilege and have been conditioned into oblivion about its existence"
"Whites are taught to think of their lives as morally neutral, normative, and average, and also ideal, so that when we work to benefit others, this is seen as work that will allow 'them' to be more like 'us'"
"I was taught to think that racism could end if white individuals changed their attitude. But a 'white' skin in the United States opens many doors for whites whether or not we approve of the way dominance has been conferred on us."
"Whites are taught to think of their lives as morally neutral, normative, and average, and also ideal, so that when we work to benefit others, this is seen as work that will allow 'them' to be more like 'us'"
"I was taught to think that racism could end if white individuals changed their attitude. But a 'white' skin in the United States opens many doors for whites whether or not we approve of the way dominance has been conferred on us."