We would all like to think that we are unaffected by the theoretical construct race. Many of us would like to believe that racism is outdated. People of color are afraid to bring the topic of race up in fear of retribution by whites “there they go again…” and by other people of color, “he/she is making us all look bad”. In reality, racism is still pervasive in our society. Many if not all of us would deny that racism plays a role in the decision we make in our everyday life. In her book, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria, author Dr. Beverly Tatum a Professor of Psychology and President of Spellman College states that racism is unavoidable. She says that all of us develop our individual identities based on race. Tatum is inclusive. She addresses the critical identity development of Whites, Latinos, American Indians, and Asian Pacific Americans. Dr. Tatum quotes David Wellman author of Portraits of White Racism when he defines racism as “a system of advantages based on race”.

Dr. Tatum goes into great detail about how our individual identities are formed. She analyses the critical influences race has on our social environment and the impact on education in America. By reading Tatum’s book, America can begin to understand race from a scholarly perspective. Additionally, her book serves as a self help manual for all races. She implores us all to address racism so that we can move on as a people and provide quality education for all members of our society. Her objective is to inform us on how to create inclusive learning environments of all students, and outlines what she calls the ABC’s of inclusive learning environments.

Book Review is authored by Ken Clarke

Book is written by Beverly Tatum