Should be in every school library in the US. And look around...any public place and see the separation by race. Excellent. ( )

"Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" by Beverley Daniel Tatum is a quick, accessible introduction to race and racism in the United States and how these intersect with adolescent development and search for identity. I finished it in a few hours over a couple of days, and I strongly recommend it for anyone who wants to explore questions of identity and racism, whether as parents, teachers, or concerned citizens. One of the largest barriers to effectively addressing social problems is figuring out how to talk about them. This book looks at the psychology of developing self identity from the perspective of race, largely addressing the African American experience.

The author is a clinical psychologist who has taught many antiracism workshops in schools and communities, facilitated group discussions on race, and conducted research on children's racial identity development. This book is an extension of these activities, with the goal of meeting the needs of larger audiences who have not had the opportunity to attend her workshops or read her scholarly publications. She draws on her own life experiences as student, teacher and parent, as well as the experiences of many people she has interviewed and taught over the years. These examples drawn from real-world situations help define the subject matter and engage the reader, just like personal anecdotes from many self-help books.

This work could be considered the FAQ of racism in America, hence the title. Every chapter also has a commonly encountered question as the subtitle. The book consists of ten chapters organized into five sections: 1) definitions of racism and identity, 2) understanding blackness in a white context, 3) understanding whiteness in a white context, 4) beyond black and white (overview of other people of color), 5) breaking the silence (opening conversations on race). There's also an appendix of resources (largely additional reading material) sorted according to specific audiences and their needs (children, parents, older adults, educators, potential activists, and general audience learning about historical roots and current legacy of racism in the United States).

In essence, this book is a gentle introduction to a difficult topic that can be easily understood by a general audience. It addresses many of the commonly encountered questions and attitudes around race and racism in the United States. I would like lots of my friends to read at least the first couple of chapters discussing basic definitions and where they are coming from. Some of them might humor me in the coming months. So this might be a keeper, or I might end up passing it along as needed, but it won't be discarded. ( )