Reflection Paper: Unpacking White Privilege

Throughout the course of C&T 235, I have learned a vast amount of information regarding the aspect and ideas of race. During the first few weeks of class we dissected races and talked about all the stereotypes about it. We even talked about white privilege which was a term I was aware of from other classes that I have taken here at The University of Kansas. I had prior knowledge of this term, but this class allowed me to really unpack and understand the meaning of this concept. The term white privilege addresses the ways or means that white individuals benefits from not being the racial minority group. A term that goes hand and hand with white privilege is known as the invisible knapsack. According to the article titled “White Privilege: Unpacking
I had never thought of myself as an individual is privileged, I have always viewed myself as an equal, but after reading this article I began to understand that how being a white female gave me more privilege when compared to others. I have learned from this class that it is important to use my privilege to help those who do not have those unearned disadvantages. As a future educator it is important to keep that in mind as I teach through the years. There may be some children who become my students and they do not have the right resources to have proper clothing or shoes for the seasons and as someone of privilege I can do something to help those individuals. Furthermore, I can simply just be a role model and set an example to my students and make sure to instantly shut down any form of racism or racist remark that may happen in class. Some teachers choose to ignore those kinds of topics because they often can get complicated and messy if dealt with in the wrong
In the article she talks about her kindergarten students and how one student told her that her mother was giving her pills to turn her skin white (Segura-Mora). The moment she shared with this student resulted in a teachable moment that benefited the students all together, but it was a sad moment to have to experience with children of such a young age. Segura- Mora begins to explain that as teachers we are “cultural workers” and “If teachers don’t question the culture and values being promoted in the classroom, they socialize their students to accept the uneven power relations of our society along lines of race, gender, and ability. Yet teachers can-and should- challenge the values of white privilege and instead promote values of self-love” (Segura-Mora,). I fully support and agree with Segura-Mora’s claim and as an educator I hope to do exactly that. I know society is and always will be changing in some way, and I can’t guarantee that society will always view other colors in a positive way although some day I hope that becomes the