"Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?"
And Other Conversations About Race
by Beverly Daniel TatumRace is an uncomfortable subject for many people, but it affects all of the people living in a racist society. Tatum defines racism as a system of advantage based on race, and she holds that it has affected all of us in the U.S.. Tatum talks about what can be done to change the system. She covers the maturation of racial identity in minority people and White people. Education of adults and children in how race affects us and what it means is important. Also important is teaching the proud parts of racial histories.
Tatum's writings have an urgent quality. She writes as though you the reader shouldn't be able to control your indignation once your eyes have been opened to the problem. However, I did not feel all that moved. Even in the framework of race, I didn't see myself as perpetrating any racial inequality. The chapter on affirmative action was the most convincing writing I've read on the topic. Tatum says that when no reason is given to hire people of different backrounds, White interviewers would have a natural bias towards White people, around whom they are more comfortable. My edition has discussion questions, but all of the questions have a bias, and don't seem terribly intelligent.
Question: Is race an important part of your identity?
Thoughtful reading
