A Review of Beverly Daniel Tatums 2003 - Book Report/Review Example

Book Review: “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: and other convocations about race” By Beverly Daniel Tatum Student’s Name University Course Instructor Date This paper is a review of Tatum’s “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: and other convocations about race”. Beverly Daniel Tatum, born September 27th, 1954 is the ninth president of Spelman College in the United States, a clinical psychologist, race relations expert, an educationalist, and an administrator (Spelman.edu 2015). The academician has conducted various research studies and written different books addressing the issue of race and identity especially in the education system and American society. The book in review is one of Tatum’s most recognized works that outlines the development of racial identities. It also addresses the challenges involved in people’s attempts to have a meaningful conversation about race. To achieve the above, Tatum uses practical and explicit examples that she has derived from her personal and professional experiences. In this sense, Logan (2012) argues that Tatum makes use of her experience as a college professor and a parent and highlights conversations she has had with her children about race and racism and the teachings and discussions she has held with the college students. In this review of “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: and other convocations about race” it becomes apparent that the concept of race, racism, and racial identity takes the center stage in Tatum’s book. The aim is to shed some light on the issue of race and the other factors related to it. Tatum sets out to illustrate the difference between racism and prejudice. Racism is therefore described as a system that allows some people advantage based on race whereas prejudice is considered to be a result of cultural racism. In this sense, prejudice is essentially people’s preconceived opinions and judgments that are made with limited information (Logan 2012; Tatum 2003). On the same note, the author takes time in outlining and describing the racial identity development of the blacks and whites. The aim being to find the appropriate answer to the question of why all the black kids sit together in the cafeteria. The central argument is that during the late adolescence and early adulthood, the young colored Americans come to terms with the personal impact that racism has on them. As a result, they develop an identity which seems to be in opposition to anything that is considered White, including academic excellence. The author also maintains that this oppositional social identity significantly influences the black kids to stay together in the cafeteria, especially in learning institutions that are predominantly white. This is aimed at keeping the dominant group away from the minority group; in this case, Whites make up the dominant group while their black counterparts fall in the minority sphere. Students make up the select target audience for this book, especially those in racially mixed settings. This is because the author addresses the central issue that affects social and academic relationships in such contexts. This primary issue is racism, which Tatum (2003) and Cross (1991) refer to as an environmental stressor. Therefore, through this book, the author teaches the students, academic administrators, and institutions on how to embrace, establish, and continue cross-racial dialogue despite the emerging and existing differences (Logan 2012). The racial segregation and oppositional social identification make it hard to have fruitful cross-racial conversations. As a result, Tatum in “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: and other convocations about race” enables the audience to find the courage to promote social change and cross-racial conversations. As mentioned earlier in the introduction part of this paper, the author achieves the book’s main aims in two primary ways. One, the academician uses the personal experiences and conversations that she has with her children concerning the issue at hand. By so doing, the author presents the concept as real rather than merely theoretical and all researched up. At this level, the audience can internalize and relate to the claims and arguments raised by the author. Secondly, as a professor and academician, the author draws examples from the teaching activities and classroom discussions that were facilitated to engage the college students in understanding, recognizing, and accepting their racial identity (Logan 2012). After all, the author acknowledges that most young people operate with a limited definition of what exactly it means for one to be black. This misinformation and limitation are largely attributed to the cultural stereotypes that exist along the racial lines Phinney (1993). Chapter four in the book is one of the most interesting sections. It addresses the topic of Identity Development in Adolescence. This chapter borrows a lot from “Nigrescence also known as the theory of becoming black” (Tatum 2003. Pp. 71). It is a theory of racial identity by William Cross. According to Cross (1991), five stages are involved. They include as cited in Tatum (2003. Pp 54-55) “pre-encounter, encounter, emersion/immersion, internalization, and internalization-commitment. In this section, the author maintains that adolescents have a developmental need to explore the meaning of their identity with people who are engaged in similar circumstances and processes. In line with this, Phinney (1993) maintains that ethnic identity in adolescents and adult populations are affected by the group(s) that one is in contact with. The book is relevant in today’s society because the issue of ethnic segregation and how to handle it is still controversial with some calling for its abolition while others are in support of it. For instance, Glenn and De Jong (1996) informs that at present, there are considerable controversies that have emerged concerning separate schools organized on a religious or ethnic basis in the United Kingdom. Those who support the segregation argue that it prevents the minority groups from assimilation and thus enables them to maintain their cultural heritage and practices. Bernard Coard (quoted in Homan 1986. Pp 168), insists on the need to open Blacks' nursery and supplementary schools throughout Britain so that the Black children could have a sense of pride, identity, and belonging. The Critical Race Theory (CRT), begins with the notion that in the American society racism is a normal phenomenon. It, therefore, investigates the paradox of how racism prevails despite the universal condemnation (Harris 2012). Linking the theory to the book, one can use the answers and arguments presented by the author to derive some answers. On this note, the book informs that racism persists because of the limited information and existing stereotypes in the society (Phinney 1993; Tatum 2003). This aspect of relevance stands as one of the major strengths of the book in that it can be used in different frameworks and still produce results because it addresses universally sensitive issues. Secondly, the author’s use of practical and everyday examples comes out as another strength of the book (Logan 2012). This means the audience can relate directly to the concerns raised, and nearly everyone can attest to the truth of the claims made in the book. For instance, the claims by Tatum (2003) that ethnicity and racism impacts on the individuals’ academic excellence in the United States coincide with similar claims by Gillborn (1997) in a United Kingdom context. However, a few issues may undermine the book's strength. For instance, the author is American and, therefore, refers to American case studies and the American society in general. For this reason, it is essential to note that the experiences and scenarios expressed may be different in a United Kingdom context. In conclusion, it is apparent that “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: and other convocations about race” is a practical resource for racial studies. Despite the context, the content is relevant to the United Kingdom and any other part of the world where racism exists. However, one is left wondering whether the segregation according to people’s racial identities is an actual problem that ought to be fixed or a coping strategy that needs to be supported. Whatever the case, perhaps it should be better to view it as a problem in need of fixing. By so doing, measures will be put in place to encourage individuals to interact and socialize with each other regardless of their racial differences. However, this may be a long shot and therefore not something that can be achieved in a fortnight, but if people are educated effectively and the stereotypes eliminated, then cross-racial interactions will thrive. Only then, will the black kids feel free to sit with the white kids in the cafeteria. Only then, will the issue of color cease to be of so much importance in the society. Given that the world is striving towards becoming a global village, the concept of racial segregation and identity ought to be dealt with sooner rather than later. References Cross, W 1991, Shades of black. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. Gillborn, D 1997, Ethnicity and educational performance in the United Kingdom: Racism, ethnicity, and variability in achievement. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 28(3), pp.375-393. Glenn, C and De Jong, E 1996, Educating immigrant children. New York: Garland Pub. Harris, AP 2012, Critical race theory. University of California-Davis. Homan, R. 1986, The supplementary school: development and implications. Multicultural Education: the interminable debate, pp.167-180. Logan, S 2012, Beverly Daniel Tatum’s Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race | Universitas | University of Northern Iowa. [online] Uni.edu. Available at: https://www.uni.edu/universitas/article/beverly-daniel-tatum%E2%80%99s-why-are-all-black-kids-sitting-together-cafeteria-and-other-conversat [Accessed 12 Feb. 2016]. Phinney, J 1993, A three-stage model of ethnic identity development in adolescence. In: M. Bernal, ed., Ethnic identity: Formation and transmission among Hispanics and other minorities, ed. Sunny Press, pp.61-79. Spelman.edu, 2015, Beverly Daniel Tatum. [online] Available at: http://www.spelman.edu/about-us/office-of-the-president/past-presidents/beverly-daniel-tatum [Accessed 12 Feb. 2016]. Tatum, BD 2003. Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: and other convocations about race. New York: Basic Books Read More