White Privilege & The Miss America Pageant

Although I didn't watch the Miss America Pageant this year, I was struck by the amount of negative attention the pageant received. The fact that this year's winner from New York is of Indian descent has caused quite the backlash and unfortunately has emphasized just how prevalent racism is within American society today. I read a number of articles regarding the controversy, including this one (http://www.kansascity.com/2013/09/16/4485878/racists-tarnish-the-miss-america.html), and was struck by how unfair and ignorant people can be. Instead of focusing on this woman's wonderful accomplishments and aspirations (she has a degree in brain behavior and cognitive science and plans on attending medical school as her father did), many only focused on the color of her skin. People tweeted many comments stating that this "is America" and insinuating that the winner,  because she is an Indian-American, does not embody America's values or even represent an American citizen. This reminded me of Peggy McIntosh's article, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, that we previously read; McIntosh included a list of privileges white people experience, and I think winning the Miss America Pageant without one's race being addressed or objected to should be added. Sadly, this woman has a chance to spread female empowerment as the winner of this pageant and instead her victory has only proven just how little progress America has actually made in regards to racism.