Book Blog (Maxwell Goddard)

    During the prologue of Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria , Tatum states that the question she receives most since the book's original writing twenty years ago is "Is it better?". Three hundred and fifty-eight pages later, her answer is "Not yet, but it could be. It's up to us to make sure that it is. I remain hopeful.". By this, she means that racism in the United States is sadly very much alive, as recent events have shown in painful detail. So what can we do to improve racial relations and curb racism as it exists today? Her answer, given throughout the book, is education.       Teaching children to be unashamed of who they are through positive representation, role models, and speaking honestly about race and racism is the bet way to ensure that they can combat both internal and external racism. However, it is not just children who can be educated about race and racism; employers who are trained to recognize and go agai...

     Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting At The Same Table In The Cafeteria was written to answer many questions about the modern psychology of race, including the titular question, and how racism negatively affects the way that people think today; what people of all races can do to change how they think and improve racial relations and social conditions. Tatum makes several arguments as to what she thinks would be helpful, such as raising Black and mixed-race children with positive racial role models and to be unashamed of who they are, educating White people on racism and privilege, teaching everyone to be cognizant of implicit bias, and emphasizing the importance of goal-oriented affirmative action. These arguments are made by primarily by appeals to logic through facts and studies, as well as more emotional appeals that walk the reader through various mindsets and emotions which back up and explain the facts and studies.       For example, on page 2...