I am reasonably certain that I’ve encountered McIntosh’s Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack article at least once before in my academic career, but I read it differently each time as I grow and mature. Since I am white, I can relate to McIntosh’s “conditions.” I don’t need to worry about being discriminated against while renting an apartment, shopping in a store, or simply walking in my neighborhood. Similarly, I can relate to the fact that we are never really taught to notice our privileges. “White” is considered the “American” race, despite the fact that America has always touted itself as a melting pot of cultures and colors. Part of me is kind of just waiting for racism to go away, though I doubt that the problem will ever take care of itself. When I think about it, I don’t find myself racist. I don’t think my friends are racist. I don’t understand how people can still discriminate against people they don’t know just because of the way they look. But if we just wait a few more generations, will it really go away? Probably not. McIntosh’s focus on mostly white and male privileges makes me think immediately of the United States government. When I think about our government, I think about a big group of well-born, Ivy-League educated white men making choices for our entire country. Sprinkle in a few people of color here, a few women, a (very) few people who climbed from the bottom to get there, and there you have it. This does not seem like the ideal group to make decisions for our diverse country. I think privilege plays a part here, but I don’t know how we can change it. My small contribution will be to teach my students to love and embrace the differences between themselves and others. There are going to be people we like and people we dislike, but we can’t judge them based on culture, rather, we should make decisions about people based on character and surround ourselves with people who inspire us to be better.
Omi and Winant mention the difference between race and racism. We can’t ignore race, because it makes up a huge piece of the person who holds it. We’re aware of our race, so we can’t pretend to be colorblind. It’s more important to see, acknowledge, and accept the differences in the way we look and in our cultures. The racism comes about when one group is excluded or denied based solely on their background, and this is unacceptable. I like that Omi and Winant state that “there is nothing inherently white about racism” (p. 136). Additionally, there is nothing inherently American about racism; it exists all over the world. For racism to be caged, we need to be able to see the differences among us and accept them. The problem seems overwhelming, but I will do my part. My future students, whether they be black, white, or purple, will be welcomed into a comfortable learning environment where discrimination will not be tolerated and where academic exploration will weave us all together.
