Reading Peggy McIntosh’s “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” only reinforced my acknowledgement of the injustice present within our communities. However, Mcintosh’s statement “My schooling gave me no training in seeing myself as an oppressor,” had me questioning whether someone could go as far as to call another who just so happened to have been born a specific race an “oppressor.” If so, how could someone ever rid themselves of a title given to them that is so tightly aligned with their physical identity? Can someone be called a participant when they were never asked to play?
These concepts have me questioning whether acknowledgement of the facts is enough. I fully accept the fact that I will receive opportunities I would have not otherwise received had I been born black, or Asian, or Hispanic. But that does not give more power to these minorities. Accepting the fact that I got a job because I was white does not employ a black person. South African advocate for black rights said, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” In a way, I think acceptance of the obvious is a neutral state: neither offensive, nor defensive. In that case, what more can I, as a privileged person living in an unjust society, do in order to ensure that I am not, in any way, contributing to this oppression? If I turn down a scholarship or reject a job offer, wouldn’t another privileged person just fill in that space? There are enough of us to go around. I would really want to help that mouse, and not just by recognizing the fact that it is being crushed. On the other hand, I’m not sure I could take on an elephant either. Wouldn’t I risk having my tail stepped on as well? If people have a difficult time accepting their white privilege, I am sure they wouldn’t want me to tell them they must. Not only would I not be helping the mouse, but I’d become one as well. So, sure, I do treat all people from all different walks of life the same regardless of race, but how can I ensure they are not prejudiced against by the next person?
What real power do regular individuals, and young, virtually useless college students like myself, have in leveling the playing field when forced to witness the struggles of minorities faced with actual powerful citizens, whether they be politically or economically powerful?
