McIntosh+All Lives Matter - Connection

In 'White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack', McIntosh talks about the privilege the white race and male gender have that has become unspoken of. She focuses in on things in her life she hasn't noticed is different for those of another race. She starts by stating that male privilege is trying to be brought down by feminists, but no one is really making a movement for white privilege.

The first of her quotes that stood out was, "I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege.". This connects to Johnson and Delpit, in the sense that those with power rarely know they have it or realize the impact it has on those around them. They both relate to white privilege because it isn't realized by those who have it. As a white person, I and many others can agree, the things we do as a regular daily routine don't seem to display white privilege.

Reading further into the article, the things that seemed normal are actually seen as privilege. Such as shopping in a store, or even writing a check at the grocery store. As a kid, I always watched my mom write a check for groceries, and even now, I'll write a check for something small just because I don't have the cash and not think twice about it. But reading this through, I was reminded of a video that was played in my GEND 200 class a few semesters ago;



We, as a society, are taught not to notice when we are given a privilege over others. Just as written in 'All Lives Matter'. The problem with all lives matter isn't that it's excluding a race or including them all. Rather than it's not addressing the actual problem at hand.

As important as all lives are, not every race is being 'targeted' (whether one wants to believe in the issue or deny it exists). Watching the news in our country, we don't see too many attacks on those of the white, Hispanic, Asian, native American race by police force as we do the African race.

That being said, yes all lives do matter, however not all lives are in danger. The recent attacks and killings of the African American community show to society that black lives aren't as important or valuable as others.

Something to share with the class is the example of the importance of Black Lives Matter given in the article. I personally feel as though it opens eyes to the real problem with the Black Lives Matter movement.