ReflectionWheelJournal

Name: KaraStucky

Date:
July2nd,2015

CourseName:
Culture&LanguageinClassroomPractice(EDCI740)

ReflectionWheelJournal#:
1

EVENT(S)/BEHAVIOR(S):
WhilePrivilege:UnpackingtheInvisibleKnapsack

McIntosh(1988)beginsbysharingwhatshewastaughtaboutracism,thatis
somethingwhichputsothersatadisadvantage(p.53).Asawhitefemale,shesawherself
asneutral,notcontributingtothecircumstancesofminorities.Shegoesontoshareaboutan
aspectofbeingwhite,whiteprivilegethatisnottaughttochildren.Whiteprivilegeisan
invisiblepackageofunearnedassetswhichIcancountoncashingineachday(McIntosh,
1988,p.53).McIntoshthenlistsovertwentydailyeffectsofwhiteprivilegeinherlife.
Finally,shechallengesherreaderstotaketheirnewunderstandingofracialdominanceand
worktolessenit.McIntosh(1988)closesbysayingthatwecantakeour
arbitrarilyawardedpowertotrytoreconstructpowersystemsonabroaderbase(p.55).

Reference:
McIntosh,P.(1988).Whiteprivilege:unpackingtheinvisibleknapsack.InNoelJ.(Ed.),
Classiceditionsourcesmulticulturaleducation
(3rded.,pp.5355).NewYork,NY:
McGrawHill.

FEELINGS:
surprised
ashamed
disturbed

ReflectionWheelJournal
THOUGHTS:
AsIreadthisarticle,Ibegantothinkaboutmyviewofracism.Isimilartowhat
McIntoshdescribes,havegrownupthinkingthatIwasnotaracistbecauseIdidntoutright
doanythingtohurtpeopleofanotherrace.Ihadneverconsideredtheunearnedadvantages
thatIhadbecauseIamwhite.AsIcontinuedtoread,IstartedtothinkaboutwhatIcoulddo
tohelpreducewhiteprivilegeratherthanstandingandwatchingitcontinue.Ialsowondered
whatitwouldbeliketonothaveprivilegeandhavetofightforanythingandeverything.

LEARNINGS:
Step1:
IassumedthatIwasmorallyneutralbecauseIhadneveroutrighthurtsomeonebasedon
theirrace.
Iassumedthatsystemsofdominancedidntexistanymoreinsociety.

Step2:
MyfirstassumptionwasnotvalidbecauseIhavecontinuedtoacceptadvantages
basedonmyskincolorandhavedonenothingtohelpdiminishtheseadvantages.Inorderto
notperpetuateracism,Ineedtoidentifytheseadvantagesandactivelyfightagainstthem.
Mysecondassumptionwasalsonotvalid.Throughthiscourse,Iambeginningtoseethat
thereisstillverymuchastructureinplaceinschoolsandthroughoutsocietythatunfairly
discriminatesagainstgroupsofpeople.Whiletheseinequitiesmightnotbevisibleactsof
violenceorhate,thereisinherentprivilegeforsome,resultingindisadvantageforothers.

Step3:
Mysocializationhasheavilyinfluencedmyperspectiveonthisarticleonwhite
privilege.Asawhitefemale,IfoundmyselfbeingabletorelatecloselytowhatMcIntosh
wassayingintermsofnotbeingawareofwhiteprivilege.Thisarticlesurprisedmebecause
IhadntconsideredhowIwascontributingtothedisadvantageofothers.Iimmediatelyfelt
ashamedthatIhadntrealizedthisearlierandwasdisturbedthatnoonehadmademeaware

ReflectionWheelJournal
ofthissooner.Igrewupinawhitehomeinalargelywhitecommunityandasaresult,Iwas
shelteredtotheadvantagesthatIautomaticallyinheritedduetomyskincolor.Myparents
raisedustobegoodpeopleandmaintainthestatusquo.Ididntrealizebydoingthis,Iwas
allowingsystemstoremaininplacethatcontinuedtosupportdisadvantage.

APPLICATIONS:
Step1:
Personally,Iamgrowinginmyunderstandingoftheintolerancethatstillexistsinour
society.IrealizenowthatIamnotneutralandthatifIamnotworkingtohelpothers,thenI
aminfactworkingagainstthem.Inthepast,whenafriendofminemadearacialcomment,
Imighthavejustignoredit.Now,IrealizethatIneedtobewillingtobringupthesedifficult
conversationsaboutraceandprivilege.IhavearesponsibilitynowbasedonwhatIhave
learned.
Professionally,IamrealizingthatIneedtobeavoiceformystudents.Itismyjobto
speakupforthemandmakesurethattheyarereceivinganequitableeducation.Ithinkthis
beginsbyhavingconversationswithmycolleaguesandprincipalabouttheprejudicesthat
areschoolperpetuates.IknowthatIwillcontinuetolearnandgrowthroughoutthisclass.I
wanttobeabletosharewhatIhavelearnedwithmycolleaguesandchallengethemtothink
abouttheirprofessionalpractice.WehaveProfessionalLearningCommunities(PLCs)andI
plantosharesomeofthearticlesfromthisclasswithmygrouptoreadanddiscuss.

Step2:
Intermsofmyprofessionalpractice,IseethatIneedtohavedifficultdiscussions
withmystudentsaboutraceandprivilege.Ishouldprovideasafeenvironmentforstudents
todiscusstheadvantagesgiveninsocietybasedonracewhilealsochallengingthemtomake
adifferenceintheworldtheylivein.IwishIhadgrownupinanenvironmentwereIwas
abletohavethesetypesofdiscussionsandthinkabouttheimpactIcouldhaveonothers
throughmyactions.Iplantoprovidestoriestostudentsaboutprivilegeandhavethemshare

ReflectionWheelJournal
theirthoughtsandfeelingsaboutthestory.Thiswillallowthemtobeginthinkingabout
theirroleinendingprejudice.