Peggy McIntosh, White Privlege:unpacking the invisible knapsack- Connections

As I was searching a picture of the author, Peggy McIntosh from this week’s article, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” I found this, which is someone’s response to the article. After seeing this image, I thought about this question, “is white skin really fair skin?” and with the help of this article along with Salim Muwakkil’s “Data show racial bias persists in America” and Allan Johnson’s “Privilege, Power and Difference” article I have come to the conclusion that, although we may not realize it, white people are really privileged in some ways that white people don’t really see, but everyone else sees. During the summer when I was younger my family would do the Fresh Air Program where we would get a kid from New York come and stay with us for two weeks during the summer. This program was free for them to sign up for and would give these kids an opportunity to get out of the City. I thought it was crazy how this girl we had would always complement my house and how big it was and how long she would make like $50 that my parents would give her for spending money last, and at the end of those 2 weeks, whatever she had left over from it she would ask if she could take it home and give the rest to her mom. When my parents gave her money I would get so mad my parents weren’t giving me spending money. I know I never realized all the privileges I had that these articles that we have looked at has shown me.

            Well I was reading this article I thought back to Johnson’s Article and the line he kept repeating, “As a white male heterosexual, I have it easier”. According to Johnson he see’s fair skin the same way McIntosh sees it, as white skin being fair skin. These two authors both included similar lists of privileges that white people have. These lists were really eye opening, I know I don’t tend to look at some of the things and I know that I don’t have to worry about it because I am white. Some of these things I know I just often tend to skip over like one of the things in McIntosh’s blog was #26 on the blog and the word “Flesh” in referring to make up cover up. This went back to also the skin colored band aids in Johnson’s list. It is really easy for me to find cover up for myself but when I am buying cover up I don’t see many options for people who aren’t white but I never really thought about that.

                    Another thing that Johnson's article McIntosh's article and another article by Salim Muwakkil all had was when it talked about black people trying to find jobs and although they may be more qualified then the white applicant the white applicant gets the job over the black applicant and this goes for promotions at work as well. I never really thought about that until it was brought up in class with Jose having to Americanize his name and getting called back for interviews when he became Joe. It's sad that it's 2014 and black people are still being treated like this. These articles really made me realize that yes white skin is fair skin.