The president emerita of Spelman College examines whether self-segregation is a problem or a coping strategy. (New York Times Bestsellerliste)
"The classic, bestselling book on the psychology of racism-now fully revised and updated Walk into any racially mixed high school and you will see Black, White, and Latino youth clustered in their own groups. Is this self-segregation a problem to address or a coping strategy? Beverly Daniel Tatum, a renowned authority on the psychology of racism, argues that straight talk about our racial identities is essential if we are serious about enabling communication across racial and ethnic divides. These topics have only become more urgent as the national conversation about race is increasingly acrimonious. This fully revised edition is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the dynamics of race in America. "An unusually sensitive work about the racial barriers that still divide us in so many areas of life."--Jonathan Kozol"-- Provided by publisher.
"Walk into any racially mixed high school and you will see black youth seated together in the cafeteria. Of course, it's not just the black kids sitting together--the white, Latino, Asian Pacific, and, in some regions, American Indian youth are clustered in their own groups, too. The same phenomenon can be observed in college dining halls, faculty lounges, and corporate cafeterias. What is going on here? Is this self-segregation a problem we should try to fix, or a coping strategy we should support? How can we get past our reluctance to talk about racial issues to even discuss it? Beverly Daniel Tatum, a renowned authority on the psychology of racism, asserts that we do not know how to talk about our racial differences: Whites are afraid of using the wrong words and being perceived as "racist" while parents of color are afraid of exposing their children to painful racial realities too soon. Using real-life examples and the latest research, Tatum presents strong evidence that straight talk about our racial identities-whatever they may be-is essential if we are serious about facilitating communication across racial and ethnic divides. This remarkable book, infused with great wisdom and humanity, has already helped hundreds of thousands of readers figure out where to start. These topics have only become more urgent in recent years, as the national conversation about race has become increasingly acrimonious-and sometimes violent. This fully revised and updated edition is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand-and perhaps someday fix-the problem of segregation in America"-- Provided by publisher.
Table of Contents
Prologue "Why Are All the Black Kids Still Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" and Other Conversations About Race in the Twenty-First Century 1 (72)
Introduction A Psychologist's Perspective 73 (10)
PART I A Definition of Terms
1 Defining Racism
"Can we talk?"
83 (16)
2 The Complexity of Identity
"Who am I?"
99 (12)
PART II Understanding Blackness in a White Context
3 The Early Years
"Is my skin brown because I drink chocolate milk?"
111 (20)
4 Identity Development in Adolescence
"Why are all the Black kids sitting together in the cafeteria?"
131 (34)
5 Racial Identity in Adulthood
"Still a work in progress..."
165 (20)
PART III Understanding Whiteness in a White Context
6 The Development of White Identity
"I'm not ethnic, I'm just normal."
185 (24)
7 White Identity, Affirmative Action, and Color-Blind Racial Ideology
"Affirmative action was nice. It had its time. Its time is over."
209 (26)
PART IV Beyond Black and White
8 Critical Issues in Latinx, Native, Asian and Pacific Islander, and Middle Eastern / North African Identity Development
"There's more than just Black and White, you know."
235 (64)
9 Identity Development in Multiracial Families
"But don't the children suffer?"
299 (32)
PART V Breaking the Silence
10 Embracing a Cross-Racial Dialogue
"We were struggling for the words."
331 (12)
Epilogue: Signs of Hope, Sites of Progress 343 (16)
Notes 359 (44)
Bibliography 403 (28)
Acknowledgments 431 (3)
Index 434