Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria?

Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria?

Adult nonfiction
"Walk into any racially mixed high school cafeteria at lunchtime
and you will instantly notice that in the sea of adolescent faces,
there is an identifiable group of Black students sitting together.
Conversely, it could be pointed out that there are many groups of
White students sitting together as well, though people rarely comment
on that. The question on the tip of everyone's tongue is, 'Why are
the black kids sitting together?' Principals want to know, teachers
want to know, White students want to know, the Black students who
aren't sitting at the table want to know."
If you're anything like me you'll want to know. So you will be
quite pleased that, through the magic of inter library loan, I managed
to track down Beverly Daniel Tatum's Why Are All The Black Kids
Sitting Together In The Cafeteria? Although Tatum has her PhD and has
held prestigious positions like college president, she succeeds in
making her book one that her target audience--parents, educators, and
community leaders--can grasp. Sadly her topic remains so timely and
crucial her original 1997 volume has been supplanted by a 20th
anniversary edition. Among the points she makes are:
*We all grow up with racial identities. White is the "normative,"
color neutral or default option. If we want to make any useful
contributions to racial dialogues, we need to examine and come to
terms with the racial privilege that accrues to us because of skin
color.
*The election of a Black president doesn't put America into a post
racial utopia. We have a lot of systematic oppression going on and
hate crimes on the rise. "...we may be living in a color-silent
society, where we have learned to avoid talking about racial
difference. But even if we refrain from mentioning race, the evidence
is clear that we still notice racial categories, and that our
behaviors are guided by what we notice."
For Whites the journey from unaware participation in racism and
privilege to authentic alliance is challenging, complex, and full of
potential quitting points. Some of us will be too offended by new
information that calls into question cherished concepts like
meritocracy. Some of us won't want to rock the boat. After all,
we're the ones the system benefits. Many of us will be too afraid of
making mistakes that we fear will alienate either our white families
and communities or the non White communities we're tentatively
reaching out to try much of anything.
If you want to make this challenging but immensely rewarding
journey, this book is a must read. It's one of the best books on
racial identity and relations that I've ever seen. Professionals who
work with younger people in the middle school to college range will
find much useful information in the developmental perspective Tatum
takes.
On a purrrsonal note, we're at the tail end of the semester where it
can be a challenge to complete everything on time, especially for
those of us who don't have cars. Little things can loom big. I had
to buy 3 fold posterboard (the stuff kids do science fair projects
with) so I can get ready for Academic Showcase. This requires two
buses each way to Bangor. There was only one day showing no rain or
snow when I'd have 4 or 5 hours. Only the same day Eugene needed me
to go to the Credit Union--opposite direction, Orono. And before I set
off for that I got an email about the climate strike on campus. So
after I stopped by the credit union I was involved in that. I ended
up making a speech which was well received. Then it was off to Bangor
where I got my posterboard (and 4 cute shirts at Goodwill). I made
the big mistake of running to catch the bus to not miss the once an
hour connecting bus to Veazie and fell flat on my face. Luckily the
bus driver stopped. Luckily a girl on the bus had napkins so I didn't
bleed all over my winter coat. Very luckily I didn't lose my two
front teeth. I can't be ugly for
Academic Showcase. All that drama and by the time I made supper and
cleaned up from it the day was just about over.
Today walking hurt but I made it to work (with a one mile to the bus
stop) and worked my shift. I still have a fat lip and can hardly eat
a thing. But I am home and plan for tomorrow to be a studython--
getting ready for my final and writing my big paper.
A great big shout out goes out to all who participated in the climate
strike and the news people who covered it.
jules hathaway


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