White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

My schooling gave me no training in seeing myself as an oppressor, as an unfairly advantaged person, or as a participant in a damaged culture. I was taught to see myself as an individual whose moral state depended on her individual moral will. My schooling followed the pattern my colleague Elizabeth Minnich has pointed out: whites are taught to think of their lives as morally neutral, normative, and average, and also ideal, so that when we work to benefit others, this is seen as work which will allow "them" to be more like "us".

it has occurred to me, that a useful move, rather than just getting frustrated with people who don't seem to understand the concept of privilege, would be to make it possible for them to do some of the same reading that i've done.

so. here you go.