Tatum, B.D. (1997). "Why are all the Black kids sitting together in the

cafeteria?" And other conversations about race. New York: Basic Books.

This book addresses primarily White-Black racial issues. However, Ms. Tatum
also expounds on racial issues that affect all cultures or individual
cultures, for examples distinct issues that Latinos, Asian Americans (and
the many diverse cultures this group consists of), and Native Americans
face. The author provides important facts and insights about racial
identity concerns, conflicts, and processes - including how Whites view and
identify their own and others' racial identities, affirmative action myths
and realities, and prejudices and misconceptions directed toward people of
color, to name just a few of the topics. Ms. Tatum supplies deep,
expressive quotes from her students. She often asks the reader reflective
and difficult to answer questions; however, she will frequently give the
reader her answer or suggestions. I found this book eye opening as well as
reassuring. I believe I have a better understanding of some of the
experiences and thoughts that people of color encounter and a reassurance
that my confusion and anger concerning racism and being White are things I
need to address and deal with to become comfortable with my racial identity
so I can effectively fight against racism.

Questions:

1) What are ways a teacher can "break the silence" of racism and find
her/his "sphere" of influence so she/he can work effectively toward change?

2) What would be some constructive, positive ways for a teacher to help
students as they go through the stages of racial identity development?

3) How can a teacher create an environment that allows students to overcome
the fear of meaningful discussion about racism and "to take risks and trust"
(p. 200)?

4) What are constructive ways to help students examine and acknowledge white
dominance and privilege while at the same time show/convince them that this
unearned racial privilege is harmful to everyone in society and needs to be
actively changed?

5) What are effective ways for an educator to begin discussion/study groups
about race issues? How much should the group be supervised in discussions?

Submitted by Kirstin Siewell

The reasons that I chose this book was because I already had it, I thought that it was required for the course, the title was interesting, and I saw Dr. Tatum on Oprah a couple of weeks ago. This book deals with racism. The author describes what it is, who is effected, why it occurs, and how does one go about eliminating it. This is a wonderful book that is easily read and understood. I personally think that it would be an excellent choice for a high school class. The issues in the book deal with people of all ages and backgrounds and provide the reader with a small glimpse into the world of color.
I do feel however that the book is somewhat dated. The copyright is 1997 but it was apparent that the author had been gathering data since her college days in the early 1970's. This isn't to say that the material is irrelevant, but rather that society continues to change. America is becoming much more integrated and this will only continue as the numbers of present minorities become the majority.

If I could ask the author 5 questions they would be:
1) What type of educational programs dealing with racism are age appropriate for middle school students?
2) How do you feel about educational programs that stress our unity as Americans as opposed to programs that stress our differences?
3) Do you feel as if great strides have been made since Affirmative Action was initiated or do you see it as a failure?
4) Everyone seems to acknowledge that the media portrayal of many ethnic groups are sterotypical and harmful to racial equality. Why then, do you think it continues?
5) Why are minorities avoiding the teaching profession like the plague? A point is made in the book about role models, and teaching is seen as such, yet the number of minority teachers continue to decline rapidly, especially among African Americans.

Submitted by John Asher

I feel that this is a book that was written to reach people in a
manner that changes their lives: People in work or school settings, people
of color in isolation or in the extreme minority. The opportunity to
connect with peers is few and far between. Given these settings that are
set up by society, it is our duty to help others move past the fear and
denial of what racism is and how it affects us. Many scripts in this book
are made up of commonly asked questions and conversations about racism.
This book takes you through different cycles of racial identity ranging from
adolescence to adulthood. The reason I chose this book was to be
enlightened.

Submitted by Clifford Carver.

I chose to read Beverly Daniel Tatum's book "Why Are All the Black
Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" because of the various issues and
topics that are covered. There is a large focus on how children deal with
racial identity. It is critical for a child (as early as preschool to an
elementary-age child) to identify who they are. It is especially
important that there is an environment provided for children so that the
development of the self can occur (this goes for every race).
Tatum's book also talks about various racial problems that people
experience/encounter. Everyone is involved, in a positive or negative
way, with what is occuring in regard to "racial issues." In the book,
there is stressed placed on how important it is for people to realize what
is happening around them. Things will not change by people staying
silent. Most importantly, people need to be aware and go beyond the
boundaries that have been placed before them for many centuries.

Questions for the Author:

1.) How would I go about leading discussions on race in a first grade
     classroom? In what ways could I present information to younger
     children in order to help them become "more aware" of their
     surroundings?

2.) What are some recent/current chages (if any) that you have seen occur
in regards to dealing with race specific issues (since the book has
been written)?

3.) What are some specific things that you would like to see happen in
elementary schools regarding multicultural education?

4.) How did the experiences you went through as a child effect the
development of your identity? How exactly did you get to the point
to where you are today?

5.) What are some ways in which I can educate people around me
(specifically my family) about racial issues? Is it by just being
vocal, not backing down on how I feel?

Submitted by Heidi Hansen

I chose this book because the title sounded intriguing to me. The question
that immediately came to mind was, why does any one race always seem to sit
together, hang out together, and rely solely on one another? I felt this book
would give me an insight to why we usually "stick" to our own race. The
reason, I believe, is in how each of us is raised, what types of schools we
attend, sports of activities we participate in, and of course, where we live.
I think it all has to do with our level of comfort. This is not limited to
race and socioeconomic status, but also has to do with our own personal
interests.

I think Beverly Daniel Tatum has done a fantastic job in pointing out the
reasons Black kids (or any other race for that matter) seem to always sit
together. She also retold some touching stories about raising her two sons and
the difficulty she had in answering some of their questions.

1. What can we do to integrate the kids together, if they don't seem like
they want to be integrated?
2. In young ages, the kids don't know the definition of segregation. How can
we explain it to them, in a way that is "politically correct" in all
spectrums?
3. Shouldn't we teach our kids to love all of the races, not just their own,
and to also love the races as a whole, not separately?
4. Whey trying to get past racial barriers in our schools, should we include
the parents/guardians of our youth, since it is they whom they learn from?
5. What would be a way to attack the previous question without making a lot
of parents/guardians really mad?

Submitted by Kelle Swearinger.

Tatum walks through a series of essays about racial identity development across the lifespan. She uses quotes to highlight different stages. Some examples are: "Is my skin brown because I drink chocolate milk?", for the early years, the title quote for adolescent development, and "I’m not ethnic, I’m just normal," for a chapter on White identity development.

I chose this piece partially because I had met this remarkable author, but also because I felt that because she wrote most of these essays while working at predominantly White institutions, that her work might shed light on some of the issues I confront at Oregon State. My continuing questions, which she sheds some light on for me are:

1. What is the best way to open students to issues of racial identity development without turning them off to the entire idea?

2. How much can be accomplished in one single course when one considers a lifetime of assumptions?

3. How do I not let my current cyclical work through my own racial identity development interferewith, but help my students’ development?

4. Is it true that crossing racial boundaries when teaching racial identity development makes it even more difficult to teach?

5. When and how will I find a place and time to engage Beverly in a one-on-one conversation?

Submitted by Jean Moule.

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