Reference
Daniel-Tatum, B. (2003). Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria: And other conversations about race (5th anniversary edition). New York: Basic Books.
Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations about Race was written by Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and professor. The book brings to light racial issues and identity development. The book not only focuses on black racial self-identity but also focuses on other races and how they work together to navigate and experience a world that is dominated by Caucasians. The book is a look at segregation, as we know it today. Segregation is the separation of different racial groups. It was a law that existed until 1954 when the Supreme Court abolished it during the Brown v. Board of Education. In Tatum’s book it becomes apparent that although the law isn’t practiced any longer, segregation does exist within the racial groups. Tatum talks about issues such as passive racism, prejudice and white privilege. She also talks about the struggle adolescents of color face with searching for racial identity. This is evident in society today as we see in schools that racial groups tend to socialize and congregate with each other. Tatum also touches on different groups such as Latinx, Native, Asian Pacific Islander and Middle Eastern/North African. She covers these groups to focus on discussing the significant issues that are relevant to their social identity development in schools. Also discussed in the book is that not all Anglo are privileged. She discusses that whites that are of lower socio-economic status also experience disadvantages based on sexism and class. In summary the book explores what she calls self-segregation and the realities of race in the educational system.