'Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?' : And Other Conversations About Race

The classic, bestselling book on the psychology of racism-now fully revised and updated Walk into any racially mixed high school and you will see Black, White, and Latino youth clustered in their own groups. Is this self-segregation a problem to address or a coping strategy? Beverly Daniel Tatum, a renowned authority on the psychology of racism, argues that straight talk about our racial identities is essential if we are serious about enabling communication across racial and ethnic divides. These topics have only become more urgent as the national conversation about race is increasingly acrimonious. This fully revised edition is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the dynamics of race in America. "An unusually sensitive work about the racial barriers that still divide us in so many areas of life."-Jonathan Kozol There is a moment when every child leaves color-blindness behind & enters the world of race consciousness. At that moment, there are two roads parents, educators, & therapists can take: they can follow the status quo, internalizing racial expectations, & become-consciously or unconsciously-part of the problem. Or, they can question stereotypes, &, actively work against racism to become part of the solution. This book provides the tools we all need to become part of the solution. Beginning with racial segregation in an integrated school situation, this book explores race relations & the development of racial identity from many different viewpoints. Walk into any racially mixed high school and you will see black youth seated together in the cafeteria. Of course, it's not just the black kids sitting together-the white, Latino, Asian Pacific, and, in some regions, American Indian youth are clustered in their own groups, too. The same phenomenon can be observed in college dining halls, faculty lounges, and corporate cafeterias. What is going on here? Is this self-segregation a problem we should try to fix, or a coping strategy we should support? How can we get past our reluctance to talk about racial issues to even discuss it? And what about all the other questions we and our children have about race? Beverly Daniel Tatum, a renowned authority on the psychology of racism, asserts that we do not know how to talk about our racial differences: Whites are afraid of using the wrong words and being perceived as "racist" while parents of color are afraid of exposing their children to painful racial realities too soon. Using real-life examples and the latest research, Tatum presents strong evidence that straight talk about our racial identities-whatever they may be-is essential if we are serious about facilitating communication across racial and ethnic divides. We have waited far too long to begin our conversations about race. This remarkable book, infused with great wisdom and humanity, has already helped hundreds of thousands of readers figure out where to start. -- Publisher. With A Discussion Guide And A New Epilogue By The Author, This Is The Fifth Anniversary Edition Of The Bestselling Work On The Development Of Racial Identity. Shares Real-life Examples And Current Research That Support The Author's Recommendations For Straight Talk About Racial Identity, Identifying Practices That Contribute To Self-segregation In Childhood Groups. A Definition Of Terms. Defining Racism, Can We Talk? -- The Complexity Of Identity, Who Am I? -- Understanding Blackness In A White Context. The Early Years, Is My Skin Brown Because I Drink Chocolate Milk? -- Identity Development In Adolescence, Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria? -- Racial Identity In Adulthood, Still A Work In Progress ... -- Understanding Whiteness In A White Context. The Development Of White Identity, I'm Not Ethnic, I'm Just Normal -- White Identity And Affirmative Action, I'm In Favor Of Affirmative Action Except When It Comes To My Jobs -- Beyond Black And White. Critical Issues In Latino, American Indian, And Asian Pacific American Identity Development, There's More Than Just Black And White, You Know -- Identity Development In Multiracial Families, But Don't The Children Suffer? -- Breaking The Silence. Embracing A Cross-racial Dialogue, We Were Struggling For The Words. Beverly Daniel Tatum. Originally Published: New York : Basicbooks, C1997. With New Epilogue By The Author. Includes A Reader Discussion Guide. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 269-282) And Index.