Peggy McIntosh, Ph.D.

Peggy McIntosh, Ph.D., is an American feminist scholar, anti-racism activist, and senior research scientist at the Wellesley Centers for Women. Her work has significantly influenced how educators, institutions, and individuals understand systemic privilege. McIntosh earned her doctorate from Harvard University and has taught English, American Studies, and Women's Studies at institutions including Harvard University, Wellesley College, Trinity College in Washington, D.C., and Durham University in England, with a teaching career spanning more than five decades. Her scholarly interests focus on curricular revision, hierarchies in education and society, and the professional development of teachers.

McIntosh is widely recognized for her essays "White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences Through Work in Women's Studies" and "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack." These works introduced the concept of unearned racial advantage into mainstream American discourse on gender, race, sexuality, and colonialism. Her essays have been incorporated into K-12 and higher education curricula and have influenced social justice educators and commentators. Sixteen of her essays are collected in the book "On Privilege, Fraudulence, and Teaching As Learning."

McIntosh founded the National SEED Project on Inclusive Curriculum (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity), which became the largest peer-led professional development program for educators in the United States. The SEED Project supports teachers and community members in creating local, year-long seminars to make school climates, curricula, and teaching methods more multicultural, gender-fair, and inclusive. She also directs the Gender, Race, and Inclusive Education Project at the Wellesley Centers for Women, providing workshops on privilege systems, feelings of fraudulence, and diversifying workplaces and curricula. McIntosh has presented at more than 1,500 institutions and organizations, including campuses across Asia, and has delivered keynote addresses at international conferences on women's studies and gender equity education.

McIntosh's contributions have been recognized with honors including the Klingenstein Award for Distinguished Educational Leadership from Columbia Teachers College and four honorary degrees. Harvard University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences awarded her the Centennial Medallion for her commitment to addressing white privilege and systemic oppression. She has been inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame and was featured in the documentary film "Mirrors of Privilege: Making Whiteness Visible," which explores the experiences of white activists confronting internalized racial assumptions. With more than 40 published papers, McIntosh's work continues to influence diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts across education, medicine, and the corporate sector, contributing to ongoing national conversations about race, power, and systemic change.