Can We Talk About Race?
And Other Conversations in an Era of
School Resegregation
Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D.
Amy Reynolds, Simon Moody, and Liz Berry
Where Do We Live?
http://projects.nytimes.com/census/2010/map
Can We Talk About Race?
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/198545-1
A Culture of Silence
• “Does the childhood segregation of our schools and
neighborhoods and the silence about race in our culture
inhibit our capacity to have meaningful dialogue with others,
particularly in the context of cross racial relationships?”
A Culture of Silence
• “Can we get get beyond our fear, our sweaty palms, our
anxiety about saying the wrong thing, or using the wrong
words, and have an honest conversation about race?”
A Culture of Silence
• “Without intentional activity to shift the paradigm, it is easily
perpetuated from one generation to the next.”
Discussion Question
• Why is there a culture of silence about race? Why is talking
about race uncomfortable?
Discussion Question
• What can we as educators do to break this silence?
White Privilege
• “White children will need to be in schools that are intentional
about helping them understand social justice issues like
prejudice, discrimination, and racism, empowering them to
think critically about the stereotypes to which they are
exposed in the culture.”
White Privilege
• “The group story of what it means to be White is a story of
achievement, success, and of being in charge.”
White Privilege
• “Black teenagers and other teenagers of color typically begin
to explore their racial identity during adolescent, but White
students may wait a long time before they think about what it
means to be White. Sometimes they never do.”
White Privilege
• “Where Whiteness is still a source of power and privilege, it is
still possible to resist being in the role of dominator, or
“oppresor,” and to become genuinely antiracist in one’s White
identity, and to actively work against systems of injustice and
unearned privilege.”
Discussion Question
• What is “White culture”?
Discussion Question
• What is White privilege? What does it mean to be privileged?
The ABCs
• A = Affirming identity
• B = Building community
• C = Cultivating leadership
The ABCs
• “Affirming identity is not just about being nice—it is bout
being knowledgeable about who our students are, and
reflecting a story that resonates with their best hope for
themselves.”
The ABCs
• “Affirming identity is not contradictory to but a prerequisite
for building community. Learning to build community, to think
inclusively, to cross borders, is both a challenge and a benefit
of being part of a diverse campus community.”
The ABCs
• “Creating opportunities to master one’s fear of difference
should be a part of the college experience, and that can
happen at any kind of institution.”
The ABCs – Tatum’s Suggestions
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Make standards for evaluation explicit.
Avoid overpraising mediocre work.
Normalize help-seeking behaviors.
When possible, include diversity of perspectives.
Encourage cross-group interactions in class.
Revise your view of intelligence.
Discussion Question
• How can you bring the ABCs to your classroom? To your
school?
Discussion Question
• How can you continue your journey of understanding race in
our society?
Discussion Question
• Why is self-reflection so important in cultivating a deeper
understanding of race?
Recommended Readings/Resources
• White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, by Peggy
McIntosh
• SEED