Beverly Daniel Tatum

Dr. Tatum, a psychologist who taught in colleges in western Massachusetts and became the president of Spelman College, investigates the ways in which children through adults explore their racial ethnic identities. Though much of the book focuses on Black and white, she also includes a chapter briefly touching on Latinx, Asian American, American Indian, and other identities, as well as a chapter on multiracial families.

This is, in my opinion, essential reading and a book I'm sorry it took me show more nearly twenty years to read from the first time I heard of it. Starting with an introduction discussing Black-white race relations since the publication of the first edition up to 2017, she gives a succinct explanation for why young people might say, "Nothing's changed!" about racism in America. She then describes the psychology behind exploring one's racial ethnic identity, both for Black children/teens/adults, and for white. Her exploration does much more than explain "Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria?" (short answer: it's a safe space for them to share their experiences of race and racism and know they'll be heard and understood). Dr. Tatum gives examples of early conversations about race with her own son, contrasting it with how many white families, including my own respond - "Shhhh!" Her examples give me hope that I can do better in conversations with peers and children, and that if I were to adopt white children or transracially, I could give them a firm foundation to start exploring their own racial ethnic identities. show less

This is an excellent book on racism and racial identity. It's very readable and would a great first book for someone just learning about the concepts of white privilege and institutional racism.

The author walks the reader through the development of one's racial identity (both black and white) from pre-school through adulthood, with every point backed up with research. I think her section on "white identity" will be truly eye-opening to a lot of white people who read it. I've taken quite a show more few workshops related to white privilege and racism and the author did a nice job of compiling everything I've learned all into one book. She writes objectively, without anger and without trying to make the white reader feel guilty about being white.

Although most of the book deals with black people and white people, there is a chapter that deals with other people of color. However, this book was written pre-9/11 - I think the section on people of Middle Eastern descent would have been different and perhaps longer if she had written it post-9/11.

I wish I could make this book required reading for just about everyone. I originally bought it because I thought it would help me in raising my daughter (who is African American) but actually this book has valuable information that I can use with ALL of my kids to help them grow up to be conscientious citizens of the world. show less

This book is one that I will return to time and time again as a reference, but it is also just an outstanding read to understand race and how it operates in society. Dr. Tatum makes statistics resonate with profound impact in how those statistic translate to our daily lives and interactions. The revised edition with the extensive prologue is well worth reading. The different sections of the book explore not only definitions and statistics, but most importantly--contexts. Anyone who teaches show more (Kindergarten through college) should read this book. The sections on identity development and formation are absolutely key to creating an anti-racist context for teaching.

I found Chapter 10, "Embracing a Cross-Racial Dialogue" to be particularly potent. I've been struggling with how to negotiate the fear of fellow White people that I encounter regularly in many of the anti-racism initiatives in which I participate. Dr. Tatum suggested to a White woman who feared "anger and disdain from people of color" and thus kept silent: "that she needs to fight for herself, not for people of color." (332) This is key. Approval should not be the motivation for the work. Dr. Tatum makes clear that social justice is for ALL of us, not just for people of color. I also appreciated that she addresses the idea--one that I've heard MANY times--that somehow younger people have an "easier" time talking about racism. It is not EASIER. It may be, if anything, a sense of urgency that compels them to be more vocal.

There is so much nuance here as well--the section on multiracial identities is particularly helpful in really understanding the multiple levels in which race can operate within a person's identity. Dr. Tatum's work challenges White people to seek out and recognize the lived experience of people of color and to expand our social networks beyond our shared racial identities. Of all the books I've read this year, I think this is the one that is the most comprehensive (not that one can actually be completely comprehensive...) and is a must read for parents, teachers, and ANYONE who wants to have a better understanding of our social circumstances. show less

The beginning sets up a LOT of background info that I think draws you away from the ultimate argument, but that might be because I was also on board with the idea that racism A. exists today and B. affects education. That’s not to say I didn’t learn a lot, but I wanted answers more quickly.

Once you get to the actual heart of the book, it is so so so helpful. It’s really insightful and offers concrete tips for being a more effective teacher. Highly recommend!