Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race

Beverly Daniel Tatum

Sep 2017 · Hachette Audio · Narrated by Beverly Daniel Tatum

About this audiobook

The classic, New York Times-bestselling book on the psychology of racism that shows us how to talk about race in America.

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? How can we get past our reluctance to discuss racial issues?

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 communicating across racial and ethnic divides and pursuing antiracism. 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 dynamics of race and racial inequality in America.

Ratings and reviews

I thought the first half of the book explaining the issue at hand and why it's happening was great. We get into some taboo information that is never discussed publicly. The second half or last 3/4 is a bit hit or miss because some of the ideas are generalized and not wrought with a solution at hand. I do recommend this as a book to read as another book pointed out this book to read and it was spot on.

As a mixed race person, I want everyone to read this to learn how to talk to me and my children. I first read this book 20 yrs ago when I was 13, and read the updated version recently. Dr Tatum is right when she says racial identity is like a spiral staircase. It seems like I've been here before but I have new perspective based on my life experiences.

This book is racist.

About the author

Beverly Daniel Tatum, PhD, is president emerita of Spelman College and in 2014 received the Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contribution to Psychology, the highest honor presented by the American Psychological Association. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.