48 pages 1 hour read

Beverly Daniel Tatum

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

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1997

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Essay Topics

1.

Using the insights you have gained from this book, write about your own racial and/or ethnic identity development. Did you have any experiences that forced you to confront racism? Did you internalize negative messages about your own group and/or other groups? Did you ever seek support from same-group peers? Have you found a positive sense of racial/ethnic identity?

2.

In Chapter 10, Tatum recommends that readers speak up about racism within their own sphere of influence. What is your sphere of influence? How can you break the silence about racism in your sphere? In the past, were there any incidents where you stayed silent instead of speaking up? If so, what could you have said?

3.

Why do we need both intraracial and cross-racial dialogue about race and racism? What is the value of each?