Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?
(16) Beverly Daniel Tatum: "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" And Other Conversations about Race. This is a book about how we (Americans) develop racial identity, how racism affects everybody, and how we can become more aware of and active against it. It's mainly about black and white people, but there's a section on other American groups--Asian, Hispanic, and Native American.
This is a great book for the general public. Tatum seems to have parents and educators specifically in mind, as a lot of the information is about racial identity formation in children and adolescents; but she brings up the workplace and other social situations as well.
This is a very evenhanded book. Its goal is fostering conversations, within and across racial boundaries, about race and racism, and as such the tone is compassionate and understanding--teacherly in fact.
One lesson in the book that struck me, and to which I'll be returning, is the importance of social networks in combating racism. It isn't enough to appreciate theories about racism. You have to be willing to effect social change within your own sphere of influence, to stand against racism and promote anti-racist dialogue within your own social groups.
This was a (needed) blow to me because my social networks are very limited. Although I am very close to a few friends and family members, I hardly ever seek out social interaction and am often uncomfortable with relationships that are not clearly defined, outside the bounds of classroom, workplace or erotic or familial love. Some of Tatum's comments in this book made me wonder: Despite my continual intake of knowledge through reading, have I stunted my growth as a human being by passively limiting my interactions with others? I think the answer is probably yes!
So my take-away message from this book, the main thing about combating racism I hadn't absorbed so much elsewhere, is that my first step is to sit with people in the cafeteria. It's hard to work towards the solution of a community problem when you isolate yourself from the community.
This is a great book for the general public. Tatum seems to have parents and educators specifically in mind, as a lot of the information is about racial identity formation in children and adolescents; but she brings up the workplace and other social situations as well.
This is a very evenhanded book. Its goal is fostering conversations, within and across racial boundaries, about race and racism, and as such the tone is compassionate and understanding--teacherly in fact.
One lesson in the book that struck me, and to which I'll be returning, is the importance of social networks in combating racism. It isn't enough to appreciate theories about racism. You have to be willing to effect social change within your own sphere of influence, to stand against racism and promote anti-racist dialogue within your own social groups.
This was a (needed) blow to me because my social networks are very limited. Although I am very close to a few friends and family members, I hardly ever seek out social interaction and am often uncomfortable with relationships that are not clearly defined, outside the bounds of classroom, workplace or erotic or familial love. Some of Tatum's comments in this book made me wonder: Despite my continual intake of knowledge through reading, have I stunted my growth as a human being by passively limiting my interactions with others? I think the answer is probably yes!
So my take-away message from this book, the main thing about combating racism I hadn't absorbed so much elsewhere, is that my first step is to sit with people in the cafeteria. It's hard to work towards the solution of a community problem when you isolate yourself from the community.