Both “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”, by Peggy McIntosh and “Oppression”, by Marilyn Frye do a fantastic job of clarifying a couple of common misconceptions that white people have about white privilege and oppression. McIntosh writes, “I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group” (McIntosh, 1). Oftentimes white people engage in pointing the finger at one another by calling out the most heinous acts of racism, but fail to look inward themselves and recognize their own white privilege.
The fact of the matter is that white privilege is so insidious and all-encompassing that, much like life inside of the patriarchy, it can be difficult for white people to recognize what’s right in front of their face. When systems are skewed to benefit the majority, there is little to no motivation for those in power to sacrifice some their own power to benefit those who are systemically oppressed. Men will cling to power like life itself. It’s instinctual. It’s only when we start treating all people with respect and equality that we show any sense of true humanity.
Some people would rather live in denial then admit the error in their ways. There is a misconception amongst white people that the term “white privilege” denies the fact that white people experience suffering and hardship. This misunderstanding is illustrated perfectly by Kevin Kimble’s snapshot which states, “White privilege doesn’t mean your life hasn’t been hard; it means that your skin color isn’t one of the things making it harder”. Although the word privilege can feel like a loaded accusation because it’s associated with wealth, it doesn’t always have to do with money. According to the Oxford dictionary, the definition for the word “privilege” is “A special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group.”
It can be helpful to boil words down to their roots in order to dissect their meaning. Marilyn Frye does this with the word “oppression”. She points out that the root word “press” holds the key to understanding the difference between oppression and suffering. “Presses are used to mold things or flatten them or reduce them in bulk…Mold. Immobilize. Reduce” (Frye, 11). What she means is that a person who is oppressed is rendered powerless by forces so great that they have little if any chance of overpowering them.
The truth is that men suffer, and women are oppressed under the patriarchy. Men suffer under sexist beliefs that it’s not OK to cry or have interests that society deems to be “feminine”. Deep down we would all be better served to set aside our judgments of one another and give each other space to exist in all our forms and presentations. A less racist and oppressive world would benefit us all and open doors for everyone. There is nothing to be gained by continuing to oppress one another and everything to lose by not stepping up to the plate and taking ownership of the privileges that one was born with.
