Can we talk about race? An interview with Beverly Daniel Tatum

Abstract

Beverly Daniel Tatum, author of Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?, talks about race with Kappan editor-in-chief Joan Richardson. Tatum advises more conversations about race and racial identities as a way to bridge the divide between the races. Silence, she says, is not an effective strategy for improving relationships. Silence may actually harm children because, when parents and teachers avoid talking about race, others will fill the gap for them, often with misinformation or negative information.