Oppression and Privilege

In her classic article, “White Privilege and Male Privilege,” Peggy McIntosh (1988) offers a long list of examples of white privilege she experiences. She notes that white privilege includes being able to assume that most of the people you or your children study in school will be of the same race; being able to go shopping without being followed; never being called a credit to one’s race, or having to represent one’s entire race; as well as simple details like finding flesh colored bandages to match one’s skin color. These examples highlight the unearned nature of privilege.