The book “Why Are All the Black kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria”, written by Beverly Daniel Tatum, attempts to address the racial identity issues present in society. She works beyond fear, denial, and anger to help gain a new understanding of what racism truly is and how it impacts all of society in a negative way. Through reading this book I have learned so much about the definitions of systematic racism and prejudice, my own racial identity, and the state of race relations in the society around me.
According to Tatum (1997), racism is not only an individual issue but also a systematic problem. She states that racism “is not only a personal ideology based on racial prejudice, but also a system involving cultural messages and institutional policies and practices as well as the beliefs and actions of an individual's” (p.7). Tatum acknowledges the fact that individuals can have prejudice thoughts and racist actions but …show more content…
The only time I ever had to think about it was when filling out applications I was “caucasian” or “Non- Hispanic”. I never really took time to consider how this affected my racial identity. As Tatum (1997) points out, “There is a lot of silence about race in white communities and as a consequence Whites tend to think of racial identity as something that other people have, not something that is salient for them.” (p. 94) This is something that really resonated with me because it is so true to my life. I grew up in a small rural town with very little diversity. Being White, I never questioned my race or even realized the role it played in my life. Tatum describes a participant in one of her various classes and workshops as a White women stumped by the question of ethnic background. Finally the women responded “I’m just normal”(p. 93). Now I realize how ignorant this thought process is, however for the first half of my life this is how I saw my “racial
According to Tatum (1997), racism is not only an individual issue but also a systematic problem. She states that racism “is not only a personal ideology based on racial prejudice, but also a system involving cultural messages and institutional policies and practices as well as the beliefs and actions of an individual's” (p.7). Tatum acknowledges the fact that individuals can have prejudice thoughts and racist actions but …show more content…
The only time I ever had to think about it was when filling out applications I was “caucasian” or “Non- Hispanic”. I never really took time to consider how this affected my racial identity. As Tatum (1997) points out, “There is a lot of silence about race in white communities and as a consequence Whites tend to think of racial identity as something that other people have, not something that is salient for them.” (p. 94) This is something that really resonated with me because it is so true to my life. I grew up in a small rural town with very little diversity. Being White, I never questioned my race or even realized the role it played in my life. Tatum describes a participant in one of her various classes and workshops as a White women stumped by the question of ethnic background. Finally the women responded “I’m just normal”(p. 93). Now I realize how ignorant this thought process is, however for the first half of my life this is how I saw my “racial