Many of us who have been examining the unearned privilege that comes with being White have read a classic article by Peggy McIntosh called “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” (1988).  As I heard community conversations about racism, I was moved to adapt her article to Ithaca.  Here are some of the ways my unearned privilege affects me in my daily life:

1. I have the privilege to go through my day never thinking about being White.
2. I can feel good about working on liberal causes because I don’t have to worry about survival.
3. I don’t have to worry about my children being targeted by police or shop owners because of their race.
4. I can see reflections of my race in the public officials with whom I meet, in the meetings I attend, in the stores in which I shop and in the street names on which I drive.
5. I can wait for an extended time to be served at restaurants or stores without wondering if the lengthy wait is due to my race.
6. I can send my children to school knowing their curriculum will represent my race and most of their teachers will teach in ways that are culturally comfortable for my children.
7. I can speak out in public without fear that my words will be dismissed because of my race or that someone might take offense when I state a simple fact.
8. I can ignore the concerns of people who don’t look like me, because I can believe they don’t impact my life.
9. I can limit my interactions to people who are White like me.
10. If I have a complaint about my children’s experiences in school or the operations of local government, I can be fairly sure that the officials I must deal with are White like me.

1. We may be fearful and uncomfortable with people of color and so may be less likely to be real.
2. We may have limited life experiences and perspectives that could be enriched if we had close friends of color.
3. We may live with guilt about our unacknowledged privilege.
4. We may be afraid that our racism will be made visible.
5. We may be afraid to speak our minds for fear it will be seen as ‘racist’.
6. We may be dehumanized by dehumanizing others.
7. We may be in denial about our privilege and the web of policies of privilege woven into our institutions, so are out of touch with how it affects us and others.
8. We may be unable to be the kind of person we think we are.
9. We may be confused.
10. Our children may be confused.

1. Follow the lead of people of color who are working to transform the institutional racism that negatively impacts them.
2. Stand up and speak out whenever we hear other white people asserting their privilege.
3. Refuse to participate in racist behaviors.
4. Develop relationships with people of color.
5. Put ourselves in positions that ordinarily might make us uncomfortable (e.g. going to events where we are in the minority; engaging in discussions about racism).
6. Volunteer to work with the Village at Ithaca in its many initiatives to eliminate racism and its effects on our youth.
7. Read books and articles on White privilege.
8. Work on our own racist assumptions and belief systems.
9. When someone says “I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and they should too” remind them about White privilege.
10. List the ways we and our families have benefited from White privilege.

Dr. Roberta Wallitt, a retired teacher, is on the Board of Directors of the Village at Ithaca, and is also a member of ACTION (Activists Committed To Interrupting Opression Now).