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! ( )

With a new, 70-page introduction. See also: Whistling Vivaldi, Project READY

Quotes

Clearly our national diversity is growing rapidly, yet old patterns of segregation persist, most notably in schools and neighborhoods. (3)

Because of residential segregation, economic disadvantage and racial disadvantage are inextricably linked. (9)

A theoretical framework that helps us make sense of what we observe in our daily lives is a very valuable resource. (75)

Stereotypes, omissions, and distortions all contribute to the development of prejudice. (85)

Prejudice is one of the inescapable consequences of living in a racist society. Cultural racism - the cultural images and messages that affirm the assumed superiority of Whites and the assumed inferiority of people of color - is like smog in the air...always...we are breathing it in. (86)

When we think about our multiple identities, most of us will find that we are both dominant and targeted at the same time. But it is the targeted identities that hold our attention and the dominant identities that often go unexamined. (103)

"I Won't Learn From You" essay, Herbert Kohl: "To agree to learn from a stranger who does not respect your integrity causes a major loss of self." (106)

We are better able to resist the negative impact of oppressive messages when we see them coming than when they are invisible to us. (126)

Learning to recognize cultural and institutional racism and other forms of inequity without also learning strategies to respond to them is a prescription for despair. (128)

Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves (book) (128)

Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People by Banaji & Greenwald (225)
Social science research is also conclusive that, while explicit bias is infrequent, implicit bias (automatic race preference) is pervasive and contributes to the racial discrimination against Black Americans. (225)

"Color-blind racism"/"aversive racism"/"color evasion"/"power evasion" (226-227)

"To deny race and ignore the existence of racism actually causes harm to people of color because it a) falsely perpetuates the myth of equal access and opportunity, b) blames people of color for their lot in life, and c) allows Whites to live their lives in ignorance, naivete, and innocence." (The Myth of Racial Color Blindness, Neville, Gallardo, Wing Sue, 227)

Learning how to have these conversations is a necessary part of moving forward as a healthy society. You can't fix what you can't talk about....Learning to have the conversation is of particular importance for White people who want to see social change. (228)

Bilingual Education Act, 1967 (effectively repealed by NCLB)
[Metaphor of building a strong foundation - i.e. native language other than English - and then building the building across the street] (re: lack of bilingual education, 250)

Historical omissions and distortions don't just affect Native students, they also contribute to the miseducation of everyone else. (264)

"stereotype promise," the performance-enhancing benefit of being expected to succeed. (re: Asian-American students, 279)

[Zhou & Lee on the importance of mind-set as a factor to successful educational outcomes of Asians: effort is more important than ability for achievement] (280)

If you don't know how best to be helpful, ask and then listen. (297)

...the choices parents make about where they live and where their children go to school has implications for identity development. (319)

"When I say that I want understanding, it does not mean that I'm looking for sympathy. I merely want people to know why I'm angry and not to be offended by it." (337) ( )

Excellent and approachable look at race relations and racial identity. ( )

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 (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. ( )

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 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. ( )