White Privilege

What is White Privilege?

Sometimes, referring to others as “white” or self-identifying as “white,” may feel like we are reinforcing the problematic categories of “race” that we are trying to deconstruct. At the same time, we want to signal that we recognize that even as racial categories are a problematic social construct, racism, as well as the benefits that white-skinned individuals experience, are very real. The term “white privilege” (also referred to as white-skin privilege) can help us to unpack these systemic inequities. Put simply, white privileges are the unearned privileges that white individuals experience on a daily basis (often unconsciously) because they are not subjected to racism. These benefits are often “invisible” to white individuals because they feel like “a given,” like something that everyone experiences.

American scholar and activist Peggy McIntosh famously defines white privilege as:

“The unquestioned and unearned set of advantages, entitlements, benefits and choices bestowed upon people solely because they are white. Generally white people who experience such privilege do so without being conscious of it. (Racial Equity Tools, citing Peggy McIntosh, “White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences Through Work in Women Studies”).

In 1988, Peggy McIntosh published an eye-opening piece on white privilege entitled “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” This article was the first of its kind as it names, in very clear ways, 50 “invisible” privileges of being/appearing white. Many people of colour and Indigenous people (particularly those who do not “pass” as white) are acutely aware of these privileges—which they are denied on a daily basis; thus, the article also functions to give people of colour the language to name and understand their experiences as well.

Some of McIntosh’s examples of white privilege are as follows:

• I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.
• I can choose blemish covers or bandages in “flesh” colour and have them more or less match my skin. (This also goes for tights or makeup)
• If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing in an area which I can afford and in which I would want to live; I can be pretty sure that my neighbours in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to me.
• I can avoid spending time with people whom I was trained to mistrust and who have learned to mistrust my kind or me.
• I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.
• When I am told about our national heritage or about “civilization,” I am shown that people of my color made it what it is.
• I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence of their race.
• I can arrange to protect my children most of the time from people who might not like them; I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systemic racism for their own daily physical protection.
• Whether I use checks, credit cards or cash, I can count on my skin color not to work against the appearance of financial reliability.
• I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.
• I can be late to a meeting without having the lateness reflect on my race.
• I can criticize our government and talk about how much I fear its policies and behaviour without being seen as a cultural outsider.
• If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven’t been singled out because of my race.
• I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having my co-workers on the job suspect that I got it because of my race.
• If my day, week or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it had racial overtones.
• I will feel welcomed and “normal” in the usual walks of public life, institutional and social.↳ To read the full list, see McIntosh’s article below.

Since the publication of McIntosh’s piece in the 80s, the landscape of racial inequity has continued to shift and become more visible throughout North America, particularly following the activism spurred by the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in 2020. In this current racial climate, it appears that individuals are more inclined towards learning about racism and acting against it; it is our hope that this movement continues into the next decade, and not merely on superficial levels. Such deep inner and systemic work is not always easy and can be accompanied by uncomfortable feelings: oftentimes, guilt for white individuals or anger for racialized individuals. All feelings here are normal and safe to feel.

It is also worth mentioning that “[s]ocial justice activists and writers have built on Peggy McIntosh’s original essay … by adding to and modifying the original list to highlight how privilege is not merely about race or gender, but that it is a series of interrelated hierarchies and power dynamics that touch all facets of social life: race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, education, gender identity, age, physical ability, passing, etc.” (MediaSmarts. Forms of Privilege). For the purpose of this resource, however, we choose to to focus on the racial aspect of such inequities but we do believe that it is important to note the interdisciplinary nature of this topic.

↳ Click here to see our glossary definitions of White Fragility, Whiteness, White Privilege/White Skin Privilege and White Supremacy

Recommended Readings:

• Cory Collins’ article “What is White Privilege, Really?”
• Jamie Utt’s article “How To Talk About Privilege To Someone Who Doesn’t Know What That Is”
• Media Smarts’ article “Forms of Privilege”
• National Museum of African American History and Culture’s page “Talking About Race: Whiteness.”
• Peggy McIntosh’s foundational article “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”
• Robin DiAngelo’s article “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism”
• Robin DiAngelo’s talk “Deconstructing White Privilege”