Imagine that your principal has come to you and stated that the district is interested in hosting a professional development workshop for educators to help them broaden their cultural competence, improve their family-teacher relationships, and enhance educational experiences for all students. The district is proposing using the materials from “A Class Divided” and “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” for the workshop. Both of these resources are dated, but are often used in schools to introduce faculty to social justice issues that affect educators.
Your principal has asked you to submit a 500-750 word persuasive essay either in support of or against the use of the material in these resources. In your essay, include specific examples that discuss whether the materials could be used to help individuals broaden their cultural competence, build stronger relationships, and create more relevant educational experiences. If you argue that the materials should not be used, offer reputable alternatives for your principal to consider. Be sure to include links and descriptions of the alternative resources.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
Read “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” by McIntosh, located on the DeAnza College website.
Answer preview
“White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” is an article written by Peggy McIntosh. In the article, McIntosh canvasses the phenomenon of “white privilege” and how it propagates racism in the United States (McIntosh, 1989). She likens white privilege to male privilege, whereas a white person learns how to ignore aspects of white privilege, just as the men fail to acknowledge the existence of male privilege. White privilege is an asset that can open a lot of doors and solve many problems for white people in America (McIntosh, 1989). The article will add valuable insight into the discourse of racial discrimination within the United States education system. According to McIntosh, most educators are white, and whites are prone to unconscious discrimination as a result of white privilege. By going through the material, educators will realize certain subtle discrimination tendencies they have and work towards eliminating them. They can also transfer what they learn to their students.
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