White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
1989 essay by Peggy McIntosh
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Themes
McIntosh outlines "invisible systems" at work,[1] as well as the main theme of an "invisible package of unearned assets", examined in the form of a metaphorical knapsack. The essay features 50 of her insights into experiential white privilege, listed numerically. These have been described as "small benefits that white Americans enjoy every day".[6]
Reception
The Atlantic has written that the intention behind the essay was to inspire "self-reflection, enhancing their capacity for empathy and compassion".[7] It has been described by Vice as one of the most authoritative texts on the subject of white privilege,[8] and The Harvard Gazette have called it a "groundbreaking article" and the most important of McIntosh's academic career.[9] It has been cited as responsible for the mainstreaming of discussion of white privilege,[10] becoming a "staple of discussions about bias" in society.[11] In 2018, artwork and studies inspired by the essay had become popular in social justice sections of social media, such as Tumblr.[12]
Influence on education
The essay has become one of the key teaching resources in the study of white privilege in the United States and Canada.[13][8] In 2016, some New York City public schools assigned the essay to high school students.[4] In 2017, a high school in Caledon, Ontario, incorporated the essay in an 11th grade anthropology class.[13] Conor Friedersdorf recommended including the essay in college curricula.[14]
McIntosh's essay inspired "Privilege Walks", workshops, and other activities to help students identify their privileges.[15]
Privilege Walks
The origin of Privilege Walks (initially known as "Power Shuffles"[16]) is often attributed to McIntosh in the 1990s. Although her essay inspired them, in 2021, McIntosh denied any association with such practices and emphatically discouraged engaging in them:
I did not invent the exercises... and in fact I urge people not to undertake such exercises. They are too simple for complex experiences relating to power and privilege. I don’t know where they originated. They seem to answer a craving for instant one-size-fits-all awakenings. I think they are counterproductive.[16]