Tatum, Beverly Daniel - Can We Talk about Race?

[oyceter]

(subtitle: And Other Conversations in an Era of School Resegregation)

Tatum's newest book is based off a series of talks she gave for "Race, Education, and Democracy," a program of lectures and books driven by Beacon Press and Simmons College. As such, the book is shorter than her Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together?.

As the title notes, the book is largely about race and the US education system. Tatum is particularly concerned with the resegregation of schools because of several rulings weakening Brown vs. Board, the continuing segregation of neighborhoods, and other such factors. This is less Racism 101, unlike her previous book, and more focused; I enjoyed being able to get a closer look at a specific racially-related problem.

I like how Tatum focuses both on what individuals (white and POC) can do to combat racism in schools and on how to implement systemic change; both are important. She writes about the importance of acceptance for kids of color; not just "Oh, we are color blind!," but the need for people to see themselves positively represented in the curriculum and in the power structure of schools. She talks about the class divide that often goes with the racial divide and strategies for lessening the achievement gap between white students and students of color, and she also addresses the need for affirmative action and the importance of diversity.

Much of the book feels like it's about K-12 education, though Tatum addresses higher education as well, particularly the battle to keep affirmative action. But the section that I found most relevant on a personal level was her chapter on interracial relationships.

She quotes David Mura's essay "Secret Colors" in Some of My Best Friends: Writings on Interracial Friendships (ed. Emily Bernard):

Yes interracial friendships with whites are possible. Certainly they are possible if the person of color thinks of himself as white or desires to be thought of as white -- that is, if the person of color forces from his consciousness the differences in his experience of race [...]. Such friendships are also possible if race is never discussed as part of the relationship [...]. In such instances, the person of color might be aware of differences and difficulties due to racial issues, but remains silent about them. Instead, the person of color suppresses his true feelings and presents a version of himself he thinks will please, or at least not trouble, his white friend.

Under such conditions, friendship is possible: but we might ask then: What kind of friendship is that?

I winced, recognizing quite a few interracial friendships I had with whites. (Also, I need to pick up that book.) I think the issues of race and education will be very relevant to me when I go back to school, but the issue of interracial friendships will always be there, unless I move back to Taiwan and quit LJ or something drastic like that.

Tatum talks in particular about lethal silence, when a POC is afraid to voice her thoughts on race and instead thinks "Note to self: do not talk to this person about anything I find important," and on the effort it takes to be honest about race. And in case it looks like the silence and the burden is on the POC, Tatum makes it very clear that deep friendships between POC and white people can only happen if the white person has done work thinking about her own whiteness and privilege. If not, the POC either must hide part of herself, reveal that part and be in constant conflict, or be an educator on racial issues, and in all cases, the relationship is then unequal. They can still be friends, but it will by necessity be in a more limited sense.

Anyhow, I highly recommend this, though people unfamiliar with Anti-Racism 101 may want to start with Tatum's other book first. Tatum is clear-sighted and sympathetic, but never underestimates the problems we all face. Reading her always makes me feel like things are difficult, but that there is hope and the potential for progress.

Links:
- minnow1212's review

Comments

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

"Note to self: do not talk to this person about anything I find important"

I will think about this some more.

[yeloson.livejournal.com]

I'll have to check this out.

A lot of my friends are past the point where we want tons of superficial connections, and what we need are deeper connections. Sometimes folks see it as intolerance, when it's basically the fact that you don't want to have to be on guard and playing the role of race educator when you're trying to hang out and have fun.

[apostle-of-eris.livejournal.com]

great, meaty post. thank you
As a white American male (I didn't do it on purpose, honest), I feel self-conscious about commenting . . . while as a Jew, the universal outsider, I'm curious about what we might share or have to learn from each other.

But one specific bit piqued my curiosity.
" . . unless I move back to Taiwan . . . " When you're in Taiwan, how much are you "an American"? I'm a pretty non-typical American (INMSHO), but when I go to a really different country, I'm pretty American.
I mean, I didn't think Taiwan had deep-fried Twinkies, and almost certainly not beignets.

[delux-vivens.livejournal.com]

Under such conditions, friendship is possible: but we might ask then: What kind of friendship is that?

The kind where you realize someone else's fangirl squee is much more important than how you feel about people of color in scifi as a poc yourself and-- whoops, sorry. never mind. *giggle*

If not, the POC either must hide part of herself, reveal that part and be in constant conflict, or be an educator on racial issues, and in all cases, the relationship is then unequal.

Gee. This sure sounds familiar...

thx for posting.

[heyiya.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this review - it sounds like a book I'm going to really want to read. (Also, geekily, I ♥ Beacon Press)

deep friendships between POC and white people can only happen if the white person has done work thinking about her own whiteness and privilege

I'm white, and that resonates powerfully with me. Especially when I compare the friendships I have now with the friendships I had with the very few POC at my high school in Scotland, when we were effectively taught that it was wrong to ever mention race and I hadn't learned to think about it differently yet - no wonder I was always frustrated that certain friendships couldn't seem to get beyond a superficial level. (Not that I'm trying to paint myself as little miss perfect white person - it's still hard work to recognise different forms of privilege and to learn on an intimate level what it means not to have it, and my desire to start educating myself was definitely influenced strongly by friendships I was developing with politically conscious POC who made it clear what was necessary.)

Anyway, if enough educators would read books like this it would give me hope that the total utter silence around race I experienced in school (which would have been pretty different in the US, I expect) can be addressed.

[keilexandra]

Sounds interesting, but question: is Tatum for or against affirmative action? Your review can be interpreted eitehr way. I'm against affirmative action because it doesn't really balance race--it only tries to balance the black-white continuum and is unfair to other POC. I tend to avoid anti-racism books because I've had a lot of bad experiences with the author only thinking about the most obvious racial issue (i.e. African-Americans).

[skywardprodigal.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the book rec.

I came here by way of yelson.

It's that fatigue...it's the fatigue that gets me. I find that even looking at race-interactions (Negative one) with white folk-- which seems like every time I run into white defensiveness when I'm busy being myself-- I just try to keep it moving.

After that SGA debacle...I deeply re-evaluated who I engaged in discussions about race and why. I don't have these discussions in rl unless you're in my rl trust filter. I too find the discourse is more under my control in lj.

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

Your posts on race always make me think loads, but then I flail for how to put those thoughts into words. I just don't know enough to compare and contrast the US and UK situations, and I'm never entirely sure that I'm qualified to talk about a lot of UK stuff, either inside or outside fandom.

So I'll just keep reading and thinking, and will squee muchly if Martha gets to do the cool stuff I'm hoping for in the Dr Who season finale.

If Lewis Hamilton wins the F1 World Championship, you may well hear me squeeing from where you are.

[chreebomb.livejournal.com]

hello! i'm here from yeloson's LJ. thanks for the review; i love tatum's work.

that quoted paragraph really hits home, doesn't it? it's something i've yet to see the average white person understand... that censoring that POC have to do in order to be friends with most white people.

my circle has shifted so much as i've become more honest about race and racism and facing how i am affected by it all. i have very few white friends, although i like white people (individually) just fine in most cases. but i'm not interested in telling any of them my life story--i'm familiar with the blank looks and offensive "questions" and defensive "...but not all white people--!"

i yotixon

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