Peggy McIntosh- Racism and the priviledges associated with skin colour

In this movie you can see some white priviledges.

Whiteness refers to our understanding of race. Whiteness is a socio-political idea rather than a word used to describe skin tone. ‘Whiteness-’a word used as a concept from the critical theories developed on racism. This article is directed less at those who experience racism, rather than on social structures and to those who have many social advantages when based on a majority/minority viewpoint. (ASA- Programm 2011, n.p.)

Critical Whiteness Studies emerged mid-80s in the U.S. and support
anti-racist and postcolonial theories. In essence they reflect on white privilege and challenge the oppresive idea of race. In order to reverse the motions that racist ideas put forward, and to reconstruct a more postive ‘white identity,’ we ‘white people’ need to analze the power imbalances found in a white hierarchal society. (Lück 2011, n.p.)

The concept of whiteness is an analytical separation between black and white culture, history and advantage. Many critical theories have debated as to whether the classification systems describing the colour of one’s skintone is an outdated concept, and if the term ‘race’ and our understanding of this word is enveloped in racist ways of thinking.
While the "race concept" has been refuted a long time,racism is unfortunately not overcome. Black and People of Color (POC)  face racist attitudes in Germany on a daily basis and have for centuries. Since the birth of White European colonialism, racist ideas have infused accepted social morals, have produced, reproduced and have been carried right up to modern day.

The terms black and white can be taken as political standpoints. Our system of governance is heavily reliant on a scale of authority, and race factors in. Although the terms black and white are understood as social constructions they are powerfully effective in dividing a community of bi-racial peoples. The words we use to describe a group of people can promote or de-value an individual. The ideas that come from the understanding of ‘race’ reflect racist thought and can  indicate different privileges a dominant majority of the population might posses. Preferred access to social resources is an example of how traditional racist theories have shaped our day to day lives. This is further explained in the article. (Lück 2011, n.p.)

Critical Whiteness Studies try to unmask the privileges given to white people and furthermore aim to lift the barrier of invisibilty placed on these privileges. A critical analysis of the pleasures, privileges and rights that white people born into a white-dominant society are given, we are able to realize the powerful hidden impact of racism. The preference and privileges of white people of Western culture are considered normal in North American society. Those who are considered to be white uphold a high and desirable status of normalcy while the opposite, in contrast, is recognizable in anyone who is a "non-white". White people find it difficult to realize the effects of ‘whiteness.’ Because of this "color blindness," white skin privileges are almost never subject to debate.

The learned and assumed normal distribution of roles has consequences for both, those who belong (the majority of whites) as well as those who do not belong. (Tagwerker 2009, n.p.)

Peggy McIntosh describes in "White Privelege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" the unveiling of white privileges to white people. She points out the racist aspects day to day rituals, chores and values. The veiled privileges that are handed to white people, unaware of their own ‘whiteness’ are together referred to as ‘the invisible knapsack’.

Noah Sow writes: “You can dance barefoot in the batik clothes and hair glued without causing racial stereotypes.” (Lück 2011, n.p.)

To change this imbalance of power and privilege, white people must realize that their everyday actions are caught in an often contradictory web of privilege and subordination. Critical analysis must be placed on the invisible dualities that exist between power structures created by race and racism.

References:

ASA- Programm (2011) „People make the difference- Weißsein“. Retrieved from

http://www.asa-programm.de/asa-aktiv/themen/weisssein.html

Lück, Mitja Sabine (2011). „Critical Whiteness - die kritische Reflexion weißer Privilegien als

Chance für transkulturelle Teams im Frauenhauskontext“. Hannover. Retrieved from

http://www.frauenhaus-hannover.org/resources/Critical+whiteness+MitjaSabineLueck.pdf

Tagwerker, Lukas (2009). „Wir sind Wir - die Norm. Die unsichtbare Farbe Weiß“. Retrieved

from http://fm4.orf.at/stories/1601083/