What do you think?
Rate this book
Can We Talk About Race?: And Other Conversations in an Era of School Resegregation
Beverly Daniel Tatum emerged on the national scene in 1997 with "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?," a book that spoke to a wide audience about the psychological dynamics of race relations in America. Tatum's unique ability to get people talking about race captured the attention of many, from Oprah Winfrey to President Clinton, who invited her to join him in his nationally televised dialogues on race.
In her first book since that pathbreaking success, Tatum starts with a warning call about the increasing but underreported resegregation of America. A self-described "integration baby"--she was born in 1954--Tatum sees our growing isolation from each other as deeply problematic, and she believes that schools can be key institutions for forging connections across the racial divide.
In this ambitious, accessible book, Tatum examines some of the most resonant issues in American education and race relations:
-The need of African American students to see themselves reflected in curricula and institutions
-How unexamined racial attitudes can negatively affect minority-student achievement
-The possibilities--and complications--of intimate crossracial friendships
Tatum approaches all these topics with the blend of analysis and storytelling that make her one of our most persuasive and engaging commentators on race.
Can We Talk About Race? launches a collaborative lecture and book series between Beacon Press and Simmons College, which aims to reinvigorate a crucial national public conversation on race, education and democracy.
"What Tatum seeks to do above all is trigger sometimes challenging discussions about race, and infuse those discussions with a reality-based focus on how race affects us all. Her latest book does that beautifully, asking touch questions, and patiently, inclusively seeking answers." --Boston Globe
Beverly Daniel Tatum is author of Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and Assimilation Blues. She is currently president of Spelman College in Atlanta, where she lives with her husband.
In her first book since that pathbreaking success, Tatum starts with a warning call about the increasing but underreported resegregation of America. A self-described "integration baby"--she was born in 1954--Tatum sees our growing isolation from each other as deeply problematic, and she believes that schools can be key institutions for forging connections across the racial divide.
In this ambitious, accessible book, Tatum examines some of the most resonant issues in American education and race relations:
-The need of African American students to see themselves reflected in curricula and institutions
-How unexamined racial attitudes can negatively affect minority-student achievement
-The possibilities--and complications--of intimate crossracial friendships
Tatum approaches all these topics with the blend of analysis and storytelling that make her one of our most persuasive and engaging commentators on race.
Can We Talk About Race? launches a collaborative lecture and book series between Beacon Press and Simmons College, which aims to reinvigorate a crucial national public conversation on race, education and democracy.
"What Tatum seeks to do above all is trigger sometimes challenging discussions about race, and infuse those discussions with a reality-based focus on how race affects us all. Her latest book does that beautifully, asking touch questions, and patiently, inclusively seeking answers." --Boston Globe
Beverly Daniel Tatum is author of Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and Assimilation Blues. She is currently president of Spelman College in Atlanta, where she lives with her husband.
147 pages, Hardcover
First published March 28, 2007
33 people are currently reading
1321 people want to read
About the author
Beverly Daniel Tatum
18 books221 followersDr. Beverly Christine Daniel Tatum (M.A., Religious Studies, Hartford Seminary, 2000; Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, University of Michigan, 1984; M.A., Clinical Psych., U.M., 1976; B.A., Psychology, Wesleyan University, 1971) is President Emerita of Spelman College, having served 13 years as President until her 2012 retirement. She is a psychologist and writes on race relations.
Previously, Dr. Tatum serves as Psychology Deopartment Chair at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, and professor of Psychology at Westfield State College (1983–89). She started her academic career teaching Black Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara, 1980–83.
The American Psychological Association presented its highest honor to Dr. Tatum, the 2014 Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contribution to Psychology.
Previously, Dr. Tatum serves as Psychology Deopartment Chair at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, and professor of Psychology at Westfield State College (1983–89). She started her academic career teaching Black Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara, 1980–83.
The American Psychological Association presented its highest honor to Dr. Tatum, the 2014 Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contribution to Psychology.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
June 9, 2019
The issue: “Can we talk about race? Are we allowed to do so? How should we talk about race? … Meaningful opportunities for cross-racial contact are diminishing, especially in schools. What are the consequences for academics, interpersonal relations, and democracy?”
It's a great book examining the way we approach (or don't approach) race in America.
I especially liked the story of a classroom in Texas, where the white teacher begins to talk about the “first” settlers in Texas (the white pioneers). One student, who happened to have indigenous Mexican ancestry, blurted out, “What are we, animals or something?” The teacher said, “What does that have to do with the text?” and stormed out in frustration. A visitor to the classroom, in whose care the teacher left the students, asked “Do you believe what this textbook said?” This question opened up doors and allowed the students to have a sophisticated discussion about race, colonialism, and political power, including how these things affected their daily lives in school—because of the racist lies taught in schools like “the first settlers in Texas came from New England,” the students chose to resist by putting less effort into learning, and accepted their failing grades in exchange for their personal and cultural integrity:
"Motivation to learn is related to one’s sense of connection to the material and the teacher. There’s a correlation between being treated with respect by the people around you, and your ability to trust your own thoughts and experiences, and put out effort and confidence in learning accordingly."
It's a great book examining the way we approach (or don't approach) race in America.
I especially liked the story of a classroom in Texas, where the white teacher begins to talk about the “first” settlers in Texas (the white pioneers). One student, who happened to have indigenous Mexican ancestry, blurted out, “What are we, animals or something?” The teacher said, “What does that have to do with the text?” and stormed out in frustration. A visitor to the classroom, in whose care the teacher left the students, asked “Do you believe what this textbook said?” This question opened up doors and allowed the students to have a sophisticated discussion about race, colonialism, and political power, including how these things affected their daily lives in school—because of the racist lies taught in schools like “the first settlers in Texas came from New England,” the students chose to resist by putting less effort into learning, and accepted their failing grades in exchange for their personal and cultural integrity:
"Motivation to learn is related to one’s sense of connection to the material and the teacher. There’s a correlation between being treated with respect by the people around you, and your ability to trust your own thoughts and experiences, and put out effort and confidence in learning accordingly."
August 3, 2021
The first two chapters were better than the second. They were more relevant to elementary school teachers. I would love to see updated research and a new perspective that is more current to 2021. The underline concept of the book is good and thought provoking.
August 9, 2009
For any of you who are educators struggling with NCLB and its insistence on tests as a measure of learning, chapter two of this book is for you! After I finished the book, I wrote an e-mail to Pres. Obama suggesting that he get Beverly Tatum and Arne Duncan together to talk over a beverage of their choice!! Great stuff here!
January 31, 2017
Can We Talk about Race? is a book based on a series of lectures given by Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum in 2006. Dr. Tatum seeks to give us all tools for productive, meaningful relationships to serve as building blocks in creating better schools and a better country.
The subtitle refers to “an era of school resegregation,” and the first essay deals with this issue, in which the laws pertaining to schools desegregation after Brown vs Board of Education were weakened by housing and zoning ordinances, busing regulations, inequalities of school funding, and White flight. Dr. Tatum writes about the need for White educators (and the vast majority of public school teachers are White) to actively work against injustice and toward affirming the identity of all students. She says, “…the noted theorist Jean Baker Miller once said we all want to feel ‘seen, heard, and understood.’ At its core, that is what affirming identity means. It is not just about what pictures are hanging on the wall, or what content is included in the curriculum, though these things are important. It is about recognizing students’ lives – and helping them make connections to them.”
In the second essay, “Connecting the Dots: How Race in America’s Classrooms Affects Achievement,” Dr. Tatum discusses intelligence. Science proves again and again that intelligence is far from fixed, so treating all students as capable of growth and improvement is important. Yet stereotypes persist, and often even well-meaning teachers hold low expectations for students of color, as illustrated by this story from Dr. Tatum’s own experience:
“…(S)ometimes low expectations can be hidden behind an ostensibly positive response from a teacher, in the form of inflated grades. I recall a particular instance of working with an African American student when I was teaching at a predominantly White institution in New England. She was an older first-generation college student who had overcome many hardships to be in college. She was an enthusiastic participant in class discussion, who often made positive contribution to our dialogue. But when the student t turned in a poorly written paper, I gave her a C on it. I knew she aspired to earn a PhD in psychology, and in my written feedback to her, I suggested that she work on her writing skills, not only to improve her performance in my class but to be better-prepared for graduate school. My intention was to encourage her, conveying both my own high standard and my confidence in her capacity to improve her writing with assistance and effort.
Despite my good intentions, she was upset with me and came to talk to me about her grade and my comments. My suggestion that she needed help with her writing was especially unsettling for her. ‘I just did a paper for another class and got an A on it,’ she said. How is that possible? I thought to myself, given the quality of the writing I had seen. I knew the White male professor who had given her the A pretty well, and I felt comfortable enough in my relationship with him to call him up after the student left my office. I explained the situation and my puzzlement about the disparity in our grading of her written work. He agreed with my assessment that her writing skills were weak, but then elaborated on the many disadvantages she had overcome to be in college, and in conclusion said, ‘You know, she works really hard.’ He had in essence given her an A for effort.
As our conversation continued, he spoke candidly about his reluctance to penalize the student for the inadequacy of her segregated urban high school preparation, and his desire not to be perceived as racially biased in his grading. I talked to him about my perception of the inherent racism in his essentially condescending – though well intentioned – awarding of a high grade. If he ordinarily gave honest feedback to more-privileged White students, to deny a Black student similarly honest feedback was to disadvantage her further. I argued that without honest feedback or high standards, without the demand for excellence, this student would not be able to accomplish what she wanted to accomplish. His high grade was in a real way an expression of low expectations, revealing a lack of confidence in her capacity to improve her skills with focused effort.”
Another aspect of stereotyping is the pressure that Black students feel NOT to reinforce the perception that they are not as intelligent as White students. Dr. Tatum calls this “stereotype threat,” and provides both study results and anecdotal evidence of the “increased sense of responsibility …not to fail.” She stresses that solutions include talking to children from an early age about the malleability of intelligence (“Think you can – work hard – get smart,” - a mantra coined by educator Verna Ford), and also working with educators toward both individual and systemic understanding and change.
The third essay concerns inter-racial relationships, and, in particular, friendship and connection between people of different races, illustrated in part by examples from Dr. Tatum’s own life. She emphasizes that for a White person to be a good friend to a person of color, s/he must have “thought about what it means to be White in a race-conscious society.”
Finally, the fourth essay brings together the previous essays, especially concerning higher education and social justice. Vitally important are what Dr. Tatum calls The ABCs of Creating Inclusive Environments:
• Affirming Identity – the need for the presence of Black students to be acknowledged
• Building Community – thinking inclusively, reaching each other despite our differences
• Cultivating Leadership – both in being prepared by speaking and writing effectively, thinking critically, having the building blocks of a good education, and the social ability to work with others from all backgrounds.
Can We Talk About Race? We can; we should; we have to.
The subtitle refers to “an era of school resegregation,” and the first essay deals with this issue, in which the laws pertaining to schools desegregation after Brown vs Board of Education were weakened by housing and zoning ordinances, busing regulations, inequalities of school funding, and White flight. Dr. Tatum writes about the need for White educators (and the vast majority of public school teachers are White) to actively work against injustice and toward affirming the identity of all students. She says, “…the noted theorist Jean Baker Miller once said we all want to feel ‘seen, heard, and understood.’ At its core, that is what affirming identity means. It is not just about what pictures are hanging on the wall, or what content is included in the curriculum, though these things are important. It is about recognizing students’ lives – and helping them make connections to them.”
In the second essay, “Connecting the Dots: How Race in America’s Classrooms Affects Achievement,” Dr. Tatum discusses intelligence. Science proves again and again that intelligence is far from fixed, so treating all students as capable of growth and improvement is important. Yet stereotypes persist, and often even well-meaning teachers hold low expectations for students of color, as illustrated by this story from Dr. Tatum’s own experience:
“…(S)ometimes low expectations can be hidden behind an ostensibly positive response from a teacher, in the form of inflated grades. I recall a particular instance of working with an African American student when I was teaching at a predominantly White institution in New England. She was an older first-generation college student who had overcome many hardships to be in college. She was an enthusiastic participant in class discussion, who often made positive contribution to our dialogue. But when the student t turned in a poorly written paper, I gave her a C on it. I knew she aspired to earn a PhD in psychology, and in my written feedback to her, I suggested that she work on her writing skills, not only to improve her performance in my class but to be better-prepared for graduate school. My intention was to encourage her, conveying both my own high standard and my confidence in her capacity to improve her writing with assistance and effort.
Despite my good intentions, she was upset with me and came to talk to me about her grade and my comments. My suggestion that she needed help with her writing was especially unsettling for her. ‘I just did a paper for another class and got an A on it,’ she said. How is that possible? I thought to myself, given the quality of the writing I had seen. I knew the White male professor who had given her the A pretty well, and I felt comfortable enough in my relationship with him to call him up after the student left my office. I explained the situation and my puzzlement about the disparity in our grading of her written work. He agreed with my assessment that her writing skills were weak, but then elaborated on the many disadvantages she had overcome to be in college, and in conclusion said, ‘You know, she works really hard.’ He had in essence given her an A for effort.
As our conversation continued, he spoke candidly about his reluctance to penalize the student for the inadequacy of her segregated urban high school preparation, and his desire not to be perceived as racially biased in his grading. I talked to him about my perception of the inherent racism in his essentially condescending – though well intentioned – awarding of a high grade. If he ordinarily gave honest feedback to more-privileged White students, to deny a Black student similarly honest feedback was to disadvantage her further. I argued that without honest feedback or high standards, without the demand for excellence, this student would not be able to accomplish what she wanted to accomplish. His high grade was in a real way an expression of low expectations, revealing a lack of confidence in her capacity to improve her skills with focused effort.”
Another aspect of stereotyping is the pressure that Black students feel NOT to reinforce the perception that they are not as intelligent as White students. Dr. Tatum calls this “stereotype threat,” and provides both study results and anecdotal evidence of the “increased sense of responsibility …not to fail.” She stresses that solutions include talking to children from an early age about the malleability of intelligence (“Think you can – work hard – get smart,” - a mantra coined by educator Verna Ford), and also working with educators toward both individual and systemic understanding and change.
The third essay concerns inter-racial relationships, and, in particular, friendship and connection between people of different races, illustrated in part by examples from Dr. Tatum’s own life. She emphasizes that for a White person to be a good friend to a person of color, s/he must have “thought about what it means to be White in a race-conscious society.”
Finally, the fourth essay brings together the previous essays, especially concerning higher education and social justice. Vitally important are what Dr. Tatum calls The ABCs of Creating Inclusive Environments:
• Affirming Identity – the need for the presence of Black students to be acknowledged
• Building Community – thinking inclusively, reaching each other despite our differences
• Cultivating Leadership – both in being prepared by speaking and writing effectively, thinking critically, having the building blocks of a good education, and the social ability to work with others from all backgrounds.
Can We Talk About Race? We can; we should; we have to.
January 23, 2019
A very introductory look at social justice teaching, but a great basic beginning point for equity.
November 3, 2018
I don't normally write reviews of books, but I will make a exception for this book. I read this on a whim while doing personal research on the subject of race relations as the subject is interesting to me. As a history major I found chapter two insight full and that is the reason why I am giving it 3 stars instead of two. otherwise I find that the author uses the term "rasist" and "rasism" much too liberally.
One point in the book the author describes a setting where students are reading about the history of Texas and they are asked about who settled the area first. The book they are studding states that is was Spanish missionaries, she deems this is racist. factually incorrect yes, culturally insensitive, most likely, but to state that the book some how created a belief in superiority it a far reaching opinion.
I have my disagreements with historical textbooks, many school text books are written to give children too broad of understanding of history to fully appreciate the cultural differences that have made this nation the place it is to day. The broadness of the text books is usually done to comply with state testing standards, many of which are culturally insensitive unto themselves.
I was able to get quite a bit of useful information from the book and I will be reading more from the author.
One point in the book the author describes a setting where students are reading about the history of Texas and they are asked about who settled the area first. The book they are studding states that is was Spanish missionaries, she deems this is racist. factually incorrect yes, culturally insensitive, most likely, but to state that the book some how created a belief in superiority it a far reaching opinion.
I have my disagreements with historical textbooks, many school text books are written to give children too broad of understanding of history to fully appreciate the cultural differences that have made this nation the place it is to day. The broadness of the text books is usually done to comply with state testing standards, many of which are culturally insensitive unto themselves.
I was able to get quite a bit of useful information from the book and I will be reading more from the author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2019
An impressive follow-up to "Why are all the black kids sitting together at the lunch table". Dr. Tatum outlines many of the problems with modern education in an accessible and honest way. I wished that some of the chapters were condensed a bit where Dr. Tatum gets to the main point early on and then draws the conclusion out for several more pages, but other than that an informative and thought-provoking piece on race and education
December 26, 2024
This book does a great job of detailing the historical context of racial desegregation and re-segregation as she calls it in American schools. She discusses key issues in public schools to bridge the achievement gap and racial divide, but I was looking for more applicable steps to take as an educator. I liked that she provided examples from schools, but I wish there was more time spent discussing specifically what teachers can do in their classrooms.
March 16, 2017
I listened to this book on audio read by the author, and I enjoyed hearing her voice. I feel like I gained a lot of useful perspective, but didn't retain a lot of details since I listened. I'd like to re-read it in physical form so I can take some notes. It's definitely a useful addition to the needed conversation on race in this country.
June 2, 2018
2.5. Some good points made, but I'm not sure it was memorable over some of the other race in schools books I've been reading this year. Also, I'd recommend the print book of this one. I did the audiobook and the quality wasn't great, and I was a bit distracted by that. Might be why I wasn't as engaged as I'd like.
May 23, 2019
Well written. The content was originally public lectures. As a child of educators, I find her background and perspective especially engaging. I think this is an important topic and one that should be of concern for all people.
July 21, 2021
Re-read this classic in preparation for a session on antiracist work and have found it just as relevant now (and perhaps heartbreakingly so) as in 2007. Highly recommend for any educator who's looking for antiracist context and strategies.
April 29, 2018
This was an okay read for me. There was a lot missing that I would have liked to have included so that I could relate to it more as an educator.
July 3, 2018
One word. Powerful. I read this as a discussion piece for a committee I am at work and it helped me really look at my white privilege in ways I wasn’t able to before. I am grateful for that.
June 11, 2020
This was such an interesting view into history, and a very useful tool for explaining the benefits of diversity in school. A must read for any activist focused on education.
November 21, 2024
Born out of and focused on the academy, this book has wonderful, transferable, implications throughout and across society. Well worth revisiting and recommending.
November 5, 2018
Dr. Tatum discusses a taboo issue but it is an issue that needs to be discussed rather than shunned. In life, we must learn to ask the right questions because if you're not asking the right questions, you'll never get the right answers.
January 26, 2024
Another important read for any of those compelled by Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?. This book explores the myth that modern day school segregation is over and probes into the logistics and consequences of its reemergence, as well as what can be done to both address its reality and why it is worth addressing. The larger questions that thread through this work echo not on questions of economic support but rather on 1) the importance of opportunity and 2) importance of understanding and inclusion as essential skills for citizens in a peaceful, democratic society and the function of diversity in education in facilitating that reality.
Perhaps the most compelling discussions in this book echoed arguments also discussed in a workplace context in Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity that I was reading at the same time - how can we push one another to be our best unless it is in the context of showing that we are pushing each other BECAUSE we care and because we know one another enough to push each other to do what we are truly capable of?
Perhaps the most compelling discussions in this book echoed arguments also discussed in a workplace context in Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity that I was reading at the same time - how can we push one another to be our best unless it is in the context of showing that we are pushing each other BECAUSE we care and because we know one another enough to push each other to do what we are truly capable of?
January 18, 2014
"Can We Talk about Race?: And Other Conversations in an Era of School Resegregation," by Beverly Daniel Tatum is about segregation and racism in schools. The author, who also wrote "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria," touches on several topics throughout the book. She addresses the issue of diversity, desegregation, segregation, resegregation, racial identity, and many more things. The book is solid and reliable with facts, statistics, and the stories of students of color themselves.
I was surprised while reading this book. I know the United States still has problems with racism but this book really opened my eyes. It taught me things I couldn't have imagined were still happening. I thought schools were already desegregated but that turned out to not be true. There is still a long way to go in making schools a safe, educational place for students of color.
Everyone should read this book. Students and teachers alike. Especially (white) teachers. If people really pay attention to what the author, Beverly Daniel Tatum, is saying then schools are going to improve. We need to acknowledge racism still exists in this country. Not talking about it will only make things worse.
I was surprised while reading this book. I know the United States still has problems with racism but this book really opened my eyes. It taught me things I couldn't have imagined were still happening. I thought schools were already desegregated but that turned out to not be true. There is still a long way to go in making schools a safe, educational place for students of color.
Everyone should read this book. Students and teachers alike. Especially (white) teachers. If people really pay attention to what the author, Beverly Daniel Tatum, is saying then schools are going to improve. We need to acknowledge racism still exists in this country. Not talking about it will only make things worse.
July 13, 2016
This is an important book. Did I agree with every single thing Tatum wrote? Not quite, but it was fairly close. I first read parts of this book during a transformative Education in America class I took my senior year of college, with an amazing (white) professor who really, deeply cared about her students and making a safe space where each of us could speak up, be heard, and feel seen.
I admit, it took me some pages to first get into the book, just because it's been a while since I've read more academic work, but once I did, the pages flew by. As an Asian-American, I do wish Tatum had also touched on the Asian-American experience--but she noted in her introduction that she wasn't going to have the space to address the Asian-American and Native American experiences, which are quite diferent, and I do get why she didn't have room for that.
I loved Tatum's humble but assertive approach to discussing race, as well as the practical suggestions she gave for how educators could actually apply their newfound knowledge and understanding. The statistics are sobering, but Tatum's commentary and firsthand experience are invaluable.
I'm glad I read this; so thought-provoking, and so absolutely relevant.
I admit, it took me some pages to first get into the book, just because it's been a while since I've read more academic work, but once I did, the pages flew by. As an Asian-American, I do wish Tatum had also touched on the Asian-American experience--but she noted in her introduction that she wasn't going to have the space to address the Asian-American and Native American experiences, which are quite diferent, and I do get why she didn't have room for that.
I loved Tatum's humble but assertive approach to discussing race, as well as the practical suggestions she gave for how educators could actually apply their newfound knowledge and understanding. The statistics are sobering, but Tatum's commentary and firsthand experience are invaluable.
I'm glad I read this; so thought-provoking, and so absolutely relevant.
August 14, 2009
This book is a collection of lectures that Dr. Tatum Gave as the inaugural speaker of the Simmons College/Beacon Press Race, Education and Democracy lecture series. The chapters are titled: The Resegregation of our Schools and the Affirmation of Identity; Connecting the Dots: Jow Race in America's Classrooms Affects Achievement; "What Kind of Friendship is That?": The Search for Authenticity, Mutuality, and Social Transformation in Cross-Racial Relationships; and In Search of Wisdom: Higher Education for a Changing Democracy.
All of the chapters deal with race and society as well as race and education. They are strsightforward, insightful, and full of hope. I highly recommend this book and her first book "What are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" And other Conversations about Race to anyone going into the teaching profession or planning on raising children in America.
All of the chapters deal with race and society as well as race and education. They are strsightforward, insightful, and full of hope. I highly recommend this book and her first book "What are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" And other Conversations about Race to anyone going into the teaching profession or planning on raising children in America.
March 7, 2015
3.5 stars. Tatum's book is based on a series of lectures she gave at Simmons College back in 2006. I was in attendance at the those lectures and inspired by her insight into the intersections of race and education and the critical ways those intersections have been and are carried out in our nation's systems of formal education. Reading the book and revisiting Tatum's ideas was valuable as a place to 'check in' about these issues, but didn't necessarily provide tons of easily applicable action steps. Even so, the conversations she engages about the resegregation of American schools, issues of academic achievement, the need for and challenges to authentic cross-racial friendships, and the role of higher education in these issues are needed and welcome.
May 9, 2011
A careful, thorough and sincere look at the history of racism in American education, with thoughts about the future. One of the most depressing books I have read in a long time. While I appreciate that the author pulled no punches about the severity of the resegregation crisis, I came away thinking her proposed solutions were a little, er, optimistic. Especially considering how much more damage has been done to the idea of real diversity in classrooms since the book was published in '07.
I will definitely be looking for more work by Dr. Tatum. It's a relief to find a voice like this out there.
I will definitely be looking for more work by Dr. Tatum. It's a relief to find a voice like this out there.
July 6, 2010
A short book, based on a series of lectures, Tatum discusses her experience as an integration baby and the resegregation of schools today. Many good tidbits in this book such as:
The ABC approach to creating affirming classrooms: Affirm identity, building community and cultivating leadership. Verna Ford’s mantra: “Think you can—work hard—get smart.” I’m looking forward to reading the author’s other book, “Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria?", but it is currently on hold at the library.
The ABC approach to creating affirming classrooms: Affirm identity, building community and cultivating leadership. Verna Ford’s mantra: “Think you can—work hard—get smart.” I’m looking forward to reading the author’s other book, “Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria?", but it is currently on hold at the library.
February 21, 2009
This book is based on a lecture series and at times reads more like a speech than a book. But it contains some EXCELLENT and clearly explained information about the interplay between race and education in America today. Moving beyond theory, Tatum also outlines specific interventions and programs that have been successful in bolstering the achievement of students of color, and in creating dynamic inter-racial classrooms. Highly recommended for anyone working in education.
May 10, 2010
Dr. Tatum has taken all of the other research and made it very readable through connecting it to the stories of real students. The conclusions are the kind that I have made notes for and brought to the equity committee of my diverse school. The recommendations are useful and doable even though they require courage to honestly reflect on the systemic issues of racism. How many years will it take for the ideals of Brown vs. the Board of Ed. to be fully realized?
December 7, 2012
I read this book solely for the purpose of participating in a discussion about it at work. I read "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" (which I thought was great), but I honestly didn't see a real need for the writing of this book. I did find chapter 2 quite interesting. It was eye-opening, in that it made me realize how recent the civil rights era actually is. Overall, though, I didn't think the book was that great.
March 23, 2017
I enjoyed this book - it has 4 distinct chapters, so you could read 1 or all of them. I participated in a book club discussion afterwards, which helped me grapple with some of the major, seemingly insurmountable issues that she discusses. I would recommended debriefing this book after reading to think of ways to personally respond to the book ... and to show through action that the answer to her title is "yes ... and we must!"
May 24, 2016
This should be required reading for those of us teaching and learning at small liberal arts colleges (and any college or university, for that matter): "How do we create and sustain educational environments that affirm identity, build community, and cultivate leadership in ways that support the learning of all students?" Tatum asks. Great question ... Now we all need to get together for some crucial dialogue to help build a frame of mind and a place where that can happen.
July 1, 2007
Essential reading on race (especially in education). Tatum has a great way of stating thing clearly, and of being forceful and direct without writing a polemic. This book has been incredibly helpful in my attempts to learn how to communicate more clearly about my own experiences and thoughts on race.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews