Read Peggy McIntosh’s White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

Read Peggy McIntosh’s White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

1. Read McIntosh’s piece (found in Week 6 Moodle link).

2. Do a free write on your thoughts about the piece.

3. Write about one of the privileges you agree with and one of the privileges you disagree with.

4. In class, find a partner and compare the similarities and/or differences.

5. Each partner should compare their similarities and/or differences.

6. The partners should play devil’s advocate and engage in critical questioning about their partner’s writing.

7. What did you learn by going through this process with your partner? How are our assumptions created? What did you learn by offering up a different perspective? By being questioned by the devil’s advocate?

Permutations of identity

On page 106 the FWN invite you to explore permutations of Harper’s identity on your own. This activity invites you to explore the various ways your identity is influenced by social and cultural markers you identify with.

One your own create a list of all of the cultural markers that inform your identity. Consider your race, gender, sex, group membership, social class, political allegiances, ability, and any other characteristics that you feel are important to who you are. Do not feel as if you need to tell private information that you are not comfortable sharing.

Small group time. Compare and contrast your lists together. How are you and your classmates similar and how are you distinct from one another?

Organize your thoughts and present your findings to the rest of class.