Demonstrated in her essay, American activist and feminist, Peggy McIntosh, coined the term White Privilege, McIntosh states the innumerable encounters she’s endured with white privilege in her life. She shares her experience of not being inquired to speak as an “ambassador” or “representative” of all people whom belong to a certain racial group. Furthermore she proceeds to claim her twelfth contact with these conditions of white privilege to be “I can swear, or dress in second-hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty, or the illiteracy of my race.” McIntosh acknowledges one particular advantage she labels her “turf”; “My skin color was an asset for any move I was educated to want to make”. The power she was proud to hold over others was the confidence that came along with it. She was free to criticize her culture freely, in contrast to being made uncomfortable and “alienated”as in other culture groups. McIntosh illustrates White Privilege to be a habit of unfair treatment directed toward culture groups, excluding whites. In publicizing this essay, she makes aware that the unjust treatment of people because of their race is discriminatory, with the intent to reestablish White Privilege as an immunity or advantage for those who are white.
McIntosh lists several ways in which white people appear to be immune to the discrimination and racism other races endure. Another essential point made in her provisions of her own life experiences, McIntosh exemplifies insight as to what she has not encountered as well. The stereotypes various races undergo, whites do not. White people, as she herself has experienced, do not live in a state of panic for the possibility of becoming a victim of racism. They are merely perceived as the “standard” of American society
while another “standard” of society is to blatantly treat non-white people differently. McIntosh’s outlook on her personal life enabled her to observe the different lives around her. McIntosh’s conclusion to her point of who experiences discrimination and racism, is that races except for caucasians often times became stigmatized when they deserved no such titles or associations.
As macro-level standpoints of white privilege continue to linger among society, there are key aspects of micro-level perspectives that ultimately influence today’s society such that minorities of diversified backgrounds are able to enjoy privilege too. There are corrosive effects of being excluded from mainstream culture, as it is destructive to self morale. McIntosh alludes to the development of minority depiction and reduction of misrepresentation of the minorities. Subsequently, McIntosh clearly establishes the definition of privilege in the term White Privilege. She addresses that ‘privilege’ does not mean that whites don’t face negative social factors that seem to “only” affect black people; rather, black people fall to a disadvantage for instance, in level of education and other socio-economic components opposed to whites.
Males are not to recognize male privilege as whites are not to recognize white privilege. The generalization of oblivion is universal in the context of male privilege versus white privilege. Conventionally, there is an amount of leeway you are granted as being a “white”. This suddenly empowers you to have the option of swaying toward or away from the danger or consequence of particular risks the person takes. McIntosh challenges the idea of racism. She redefines racism on page five in reference to questioning what identifies someone as racist. As stated, racism is a misconception construed to mean disrespect or a denotation toward another racial group as an individual act of “meanness”. As later identified by McIntosh, she confirmed that was the reason she never considered herself to be racist; relying on a false definition. Whites discuss equal opportunity and maneuvering their way into an upper or hierarchical status in society. In reality, as seen by outsiders (those who are not white) white people were in a “blindness” or state of denial that there were systems of dominance in existence and full function.
McIntosh demonstrates her life observations and how White Privilege has affected her and put her at an advantage or disadvantage. She emphasizes white privilege and its uses in different social situations and contexts. In redefining racism through macro and micro-level perspectives, the discriminatory acts that civilians participate in operate in reverse opposed to the “white point of view”.
