When did white become the default race? In today’s society it seems as though you’re “diverse” if you aren’t Caucasian. And you’re ethnic if you don’t fit into the standard mold of being white or black. Taking all of these things into account, it’s hard not to wonder how this all came to be? In her article titled, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”, Peggy McIntosh addresses the issue of white privilege and how it has effected her life. An interesting take away from the piece was the fact that not only were the disadvantages of being a certain race like Black brought up but also the advantages of being White, something we as a society never really openly discuss. But in reality being White has somewhat become the superior race and with it comes certain “perks.” For one, a personal quality does not become an indicator for the entire race. In essence the individual and the group can be distinguished. McIntosh did a great job illustrating certain things that White people experience and it was refreshing to read because I have never come across anything of the sort before. It definitely put things into perspective and really just reinforced my belief that race is something that needs to lose its importance in society.

Throughout reading this article the issue of diversity kept popping into my head. And the one form of it that I kept thinking about was the way that race is portrayed on TV shows and movies. The norm is casting white people, especially in lead roles. Any person of another race adds diversity to a cast or is there to fulfill a racial stereotype. Or if members of different races do take up starring roles, this fact is repeatedly pointed out. For example, if there are numerous African American actors in a movie, it is advertised as having a “black cast.”  But movies aren’t presented as having a “White Cast.” What’s the difference? Why does race need to be pointed out in one set as opposed to another? The distinction between races doesn’t make any sense to me. It almost feels as though anyone who isn’t White is strange and different, when in reality this isn’t or shouldn’t be the case.

“Racism without Racists” addressed the topic of people who are multi-racial. People who have parents from different races find it hard to decide what race to check off, because they are no one race. And as races continue mixing, we will get to a point where there may not be an identifiable race. This will leave the whole concept of race to be irrelevant. So than the question of why do we make it so important now arises. The whole issue of race adds complication and unfairness to society and no reason justifying it makes sense. It is something that should do obviously be done away with. There should be no such thing as white privilege or racism. Instead people should be judged for who they are as people not “what kind” of people they are.