Effective facilitators must understand themselves as racial/cultural beings by making the invisible visible. Apr 01, 2008 .

Edited June 2020 by The Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics. launches a collaborative lecture and book series between Beacon Press and Simmons College, which aims to reinvigorate a crucial national public conversation on race, education and democracy. Her latest book does that beautifully, asking touch questions, and patiently, inclusively seeking answers.”—Boston Globe“Ten years ago, Tatum’s book asked the question, ‘Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?‘ Her latest book follows up with a broader question about the nation’s readiness to talk honestly about the forces that continue to make race such a thorny issue .

Let’s close with an example of a successful racial discussion. When confronted with a defensive challenge by trainees, instructors of race talk may also. Space does not allow discussing the other many strategies I have identified in my book. Can We Talk About Race? SO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT RACE. A selfdescribed “integration baby“—she was born in 1954—Tatum sees our growing isolation from each other as deeply problematic, and she believes that schools can be key institutions for forging connections across the racial divide.In this ambitious, accessible book, Tatum examines some of the most resonant issues in American education and race relations:    • The need of African American students to see themselves reflected in curricula and institutions    • How unexamined racial attitudes can negatively affect minority-student achievement    • The possibilities—and complications—of intimate crossracial friendships Tatum approaches all these topics with the blend of analysis and storytelling that make her one of our most persuasive and engaging commentators on race.Can We Talk About Race? If they were to change their skin, hair, and eyes would they be the same person? Alleging discrimination is itself racist and divisive. Being a woman, you clearly understand prejudice and discrimination. Today, that is what I saw happen with several of you, and for that, the group should be grateful.”. And Other Conversations in an Era of School Resegregation by Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D. Includes citation in the APA format. This will encourage them to break down their own assumptions about race and critically think about them. These behaviors generally lead to negative outcomes in race talk but are of value in demonstrating what not to do and revealing possible solutions. People of color are obsessed with race. Some trainers and instructors avoid deep discussions of race to maintain what they perceive as group or classroom harmony. Do any of you feel the same way?
It may not be intentional, and it may involve the following strategies: Race talk between instructors and trainees operates on the principle of reciprocity. eNotes plot summaries cover all the significant action of So You Want to Talk About Race. After they finish writing their story, they should share their stories, observing whether or not people have similar experiences or dislikes. He is author of Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence: Understanding and Facilitating Difficult Dialogues on Race (2015), Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender and Sexual Orientation (2010) and Counseling the Culturally Diverse: Theory and Practice (2013). So You Want to Talk About Race is a nonfiction book by Ijeoma Oluo that addresses aspects of race, prejudice, and equality in the United States. The context: An educator-training workshop, The topic: Past discrimination and oppression against people of color. Buy.

As we become an increasingly diverse society, it is impossible for counselors not to encounter clients who differ from them in terms of race, ethnicity and cultural background. The instructor attempted to control the content of the discussion rather than the process of the dialogue. In this article, I share some of our findings regarding a few of the ineffective and effective strategies in facilitating difficult dialogues on race. You still seem upset. Major new reflections on race and schools—by the best-selling author of “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?“A Simmons College/Beacon Press Race, Education, and Democracy Series BookBeverly Daniel Tatum emerged on the national scene in 1997 with “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?,“ a book that spoke to a wide audience about the psychological dynamics of race relations in America. (Instructor makes a process observation.) Can you get into those feelings and share with us what’s going on? In Chapter 1, "Is it really about race?," the author states: "It is about race if a person of color thinks it is about race. Having critical racial consciousness formed from a nonracist/anti-racist orientation is key to developing and using successful race talk strategies. Also, question if what they wrote down tells the story of their life. When facilitating a difficult dialogue on race, most instructors are wary about communicating their own prejudices and will respond in a cautious fashion that may be less than honest. It might be helpful to allow two sessions for this book: one for the activity and one for the questions. (Instructor involves the entire group.). We women are an oppressed minority group as well!

Consider the earlier vignette. Does your story begin when you were born? When I ask, “Did you talk to anyone about it?” most say no, because even at the age of 5 or 6 or 7, they had already learned that they weren’t supposed to talk about race. (Trainee begins to address real issues related to her defensive reactions. OVERVIEW Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D. is the ninth president of Spelman College in Atlanta, GA. “What Tatum seeks to do above all is trigger sometimes challenging discussions about race, and infuse those discussions with a reality-based focus on how race affects us all. They are sensitive to how the school, college or organization perceives the workshop or class and attempt to elicit positive feelings and opinions from participants at the expense of productive discussion. The idea that racism is “largely” over or dying out over time. Talking about Race, Learning about Racism: The Application of Racial Identit Developmeny t Theory in the Classroom BEVERLY DANIEL TATUM Mount Holyoke College The inclusion of race-related content in college courses often generates emotional responses in student thas t range from guilt and shame to anger and despair. White female trainee (stating her thoughts angrily): Why aren’t we also addressing issues like sexism? One example of how to lead children through a discussion of this book is to begin by having them write their OWN stories. Before we do that, however, I’m picking up on lots of strong feelings behind your statement and wonder where they are coming from.

So are you.

Why or why not? What is the important thing about your story? Required fields are marked *. For example, what does being White, Black/African American, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Latino/Hispanic American or Native American mean to them?

There are many reasons why I concentrate on racial oppression … but, let me see … OK, maybe we can … let’s talk about the plight of women as an oppressed group. I hope you all will continue to feel free to bring up these topics. We human beings have no buttons others can push!

He shares his own story as he explores what makes each of us special. Derald Wing Sue stated in the most recent article that “”…having one’s buttons pushed is a common phenomenon.” I have counseled persons with violent aberrant behaviors for twenty-five years, and I have found holding them accountable is a quick march to facilitating change.

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