Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack essays

Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack essays As a child, growing up in a Christian home, I was taught to believe that we are all created equal. We all descended from Adam and Eve after all, right? We are all members of the human race and have the same advantages or disadvantages, depending on our individual family and community situations, but certainly not depending on the color of our skin. My small town northern Wisconsin community, however, had no ethnic diversity when I was growing up. While I learned about other races in school, my sheltered and naive youth taught me nothing of the then present day, real world, injustices. I remember a couple of different occasions, while sitting around the supper table, my dad talking about his Air Force days and his comment that some of his best friends were colored. I often wondered about that comment. As I got older, and a little bit more worldly, I have come to realize that my dad was probably trying to impress upon his children that he was not prejudice and that we should not be prejudice. Maybe he was even trying to convince himself that he was not prejudice, because in retrospect, I believe he was, even though he tried not to be. He was a very just and fair minded man but he still only knew what it was like to be white, just as his children and my children do now. Peggy McIntosh stated it very well for me when she said As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as something which puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage. (McIntosh) Years ago, I read Martin Luther Kings Letter From The Birmingham Jail. His statement, Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere struck me so greatly that I made a print and framed it. Dr. King had a beautiful concept of morality and I think his statement implies that when we devalue the humanity of another...

Alkali Metals - Properties of Element Groups

Alkali Metals - Properties of Element Groups Learn about the properties of the alkali metals, one of the element groups: Location of the Alkali Metals on the Periodic Table The alkali metals are the elements located in Group IA of the periodic table. The alkali metals are lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, and francium. Alkali Metal Properties The alkali metals exhibit many of the physical properties common to metals, although their densities are lower than those of other metals. Alkali metals have one electron in their outer shell, which is loosely bound. This gives them the largest atomic radii of the elements in their respective periods. Their low ionization energies result in their metallic properties and high reactivities. An alkali metal can easily lose its valence electron to form the univalent cation. Alkali metals have low electronegativities. They react readily with nonmetals, particularly halogens. Summary of Common Properties Lower densities than other metalsOne loosely bound valence electronLargest atomic radii in their periodsLow ionization energiesLow electronegativitiesHighly reactive Metals  |  Nonmetals  |  Metalloids  |  Alkali Metals  |  Alkaline Earths  |  Transition Metals  |  Halogens  |  Noble Gases  |  Rare Earths  |  Lanthanides  |  Actinides