Final Thoughts
Having finished Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria, I can say that I actually really enjoyed this read. Reading such non-fiction works doesn't bring me a lot of excitement but this assignment was made bearable by the fact that Beverly Daniel Tatum is a very talented author and psychologist. With this book, she has improved my understanding of race relations and has motivated me to continue to use my voice and my privilege. I thought that her writing was extremely accessible to white people to learn about how to use their voices and privilege and understand the struggles of people of color. I also feel that this book could be very beneficial to people of color in terms of understanding their racial identity.
My appreciation of this book is somewhat selfish in that it helped me understand myself a little better. By applying Tatum's discussion of race identity to my sexual identity, I was able to understand why I seek friendships with other LGBT people and why these friendships are so valuable. To be able to share experiences of oppression and talk about identity without fear of discrimination is powerful. Tatum's analysis of the identity path of black people in many ways mirrors the identity process that I have had to go through as well. In "diffuse," the first stage in which a person's race, or sexuality/gender, there has been little exploration in the person's identity (132). Their status as a minority has not yet become a part of their identity. For an LGBT person, this may mean that they haven't even considered that aspect of their identity yet. For me, this was certainly true. In the stage "foreclosed," the person has begun to develop an identity and started a path of discovery often chosen by parents or the people around them (132). For LGBT people, this may mean the development of an identity as a heterosexual or cisgender person or attempting to "pass" as straight or cisgender. In the next stage, "moratorium," the person has begun to break away from their parent's control and starts exploring new identities (132). No commitment is made in this stage. In terms of LGBT identity, this may mean questioning your sexuality or gender. Many LGBT people go through many labels or identities before realizing which fits them best. For transgender people, the experience of sexuality may be complicated if they are questioning their gender as well. The last stage, "achieved," is less of the end of an identity process and more of the beginning of higher exploration (132). Commitment has been made to an identity and the person begins a period of deep exploration into the history and reality of their life. In my case, I feel I've made some commitment to an identity and have begun to educate myself on LGBT history and current LGBT culture and civil rights issues. While being LGBT and black are two very different experiences with very different types of oppression, I feel we share some parts of ourselves. The communities are intertwined. For one thing, many of the founders of the LGBT Rights Movement were people of color. Marsha P. Johnson, credited with throwing the first brick at the Stonewall Riot and becoming a major catalyst for the LGBT Rights Movement, was a black transgender woman. Without people of color being active in the movement and without the changes begun by the Civil Rights Movement, LGBT rights would likely be different today.
As a result, I feel a sense of obligation to use my voice and my white privilege to fight for the Black Lives Matter Movement and lift up black voices. Education is a part of understanding and using my privilege, and I feel that this book has been an important piece of this learning.
Tatum was clear in her answer to this question. The first step to the achievement of this goal is the development of identity processes. She spends the first half of the book discussing the aforementioned process (diffuse, foreclosed, moratorium, and achieved) that people of color may go through in order to explore the part of them that may be oppressed. She also argues that an identity process for white people exists. This process is defined by the stages "contact, disintegration, reintegration, pseudo-independent, immersion/emersion, and autonomy" (187). For white people, this process is about witnessing and accepting their privilege and the racism that exists in our society. By completing these identity processes, in any race, a healthier, happier, and more confident person is created. Tatum writes, “when we see strong, mutually respectful relationships between people of color and Whites, we are usually looking at the tangible results of both people’s identity processes” (208). Racial relationships between confident people who are secure in their identities are much more positive than relationships between people who have internalized a lot of fear and confusion.
Tatum doesn't advocate for "raceless-ness," or our society ignoring the race of a person, but instead education and the understanding of race. Race, she argues, is essential to a person's identity, and can become a positive tool for change. While "not seeing color" sounds good, Tatum writes that this "overlooks the fact that people of color are not having the same experiences as White people" (227). When you overlook the different situations and ignore the experiences of people of color, you ignore the persisting racism in our society. Ignoring the problem will never solve it. Instead, we must engage in thoughtful conversation.
Talking about race is essential to "raise consciousness and lead to effective action and social change" (331). If we remain paralyzed by fear in the face of racism, we can't move to fight against racism. And change is essential. It may be easy, especially for white people, to argue that things are "good enough." However, we must bear witness to the fact that things aren't good enough—take police brutality for example. Black people are killed at twice as much as white people by police, despite making up a relatively small fraction of the United States' population. The institutional racism in our society harms all of us more than we realize. Even white people are harmed when there are members of our society who are oppressed. A fractured society with poor race relationships is much weaker than a society in which every life is valued—not just the lives of white people.
The moral of the story is, speak out. Do not allow yourself to be silenced by society or your own fears. Take part in education and self-discovery to understand yourself and the people around you. Most importantly, use your voice, as is our obligation to produce a better, happier, and more productive society.
Finally, a sentiment I have gained: I am not black but I see you. I am not black but I mourn with you. I am not black but I stand with you. I am not black but I will fight for you. Black Lives Matter.
My appreciation of this book is somewhat selfish in that it helped me understand myself a little better. By applying Tatum's discussion of race identity to my sexual identity, I was able to understand why I seek friendships with other LGBT people and why these friendships are so valuable. To be able to share experiences of oppression and talk about identity without fear of discrimination is powerful. Tatum's analysis of the identity path of black people in many ways mirrors the identity process that I have had to go through as well. In "diffuse," the first stage in which a person's race, or sexuality/gender, there has been little exploration in the person's identity (132). Their status as a minority has not yet become a part of their identity. For an LGBT person, this may mean that they haven't even considered that aspect of their identity yet. For me, this was certainly true. In the stage "foreclosed," the person has begun to develop an identity and started a path of discovery often chosen by parents or the people around them (132). For LGBT people, this may mean the development of an identity as a heterosexual or cisgender person or attempting to "pass" as straight or cisgender. In the next stage, "moratorium," the person has begun to break away from their parent's control and starts exploring new identities (132). No commitment is made in this stage. In terms of LGBT identity, this may mean questioning your sexuality or gender. Many LGBT people go through many labels or identities before realizing which fits them best. For transgender people, the experience of sexuality may be complicated if they are questioning their gender as well. The last stage, "achieved," is less of the end of an identity process and more of the beginning of higher exploration (132). Commitment has been made to an identity and the person begins a period of deep exploration into the history and reality of their life. In my case, I feel I've made some commitment to an identity and have begun to educate myself on LGBT history and current LGBT culture and civil rights issues. While being LGBT and black are two very different experiences with very different types of oppression, I feel we share some parts of ourselves. The communities are intertwined. For one thing, many of the founders of the LGBT Rights Movement were people of color. Marsha P. Johnson, credited with throwing the first brick at the Stonewall Riot and becoming a major catalyst for the LGBT Rights Movement, was a black transgender woman. Without people of color being active in the movement and without the changes begun by the Civil Rights Movement, LGBT rights would likely be different today.
As a result, I feel a sense of obligation to use my voice and my white privilege to fight for the Black Lives Matter Movement and lift up black voices. Education is a part of understanding and using my privilege, and I feel that this book has been an important piece of this learning.
I feel that the most important question raised by the book was not "why are all the black kids sitting together?" but was "how can we create positive race relations and help minorities and people of color?"
Tatum was clear in her answer to this question. The first step to the achievement of this goal is the development of identity processes. She spends the first half of the book discussing the aforementioned process (diffuse, foreclosed, moratorium, and achieved) that people of color may go through in order to explore the part of them that may be oppressed. She also argues that an identity process for white people exists. This process is defined by the stages "contact, disintegration, reintegration, pseudo-independent, immersion/emersion, and autonomy" (187). For white people, this process is about witnessing and accepting their privilege and the racism that exists in our society. By completing these identity processes, in any race, a healthier, happier, and more confident person is created. Tatum writes, “when we see strong, mutually respectful relationships between people of color and Whites, we are usually looking at the tangible results of both people’s identity processes” (208). Racial relationships between confident people who are secure in their identities are much more positive than relationships between people who have internalized a lot of fear and confusion.
Tatum doesn't advocate for "raceless-ness," or our society ignoring the race of a person, but instead education and the understanding of race. Race, she argues, is essential to a person's identity, and can become a positive tool for change. While "not seeing color" sounds good, Tatum writes that this "overlooks the fact that people of color are not having the same experiences as White people" (227). When you overlook the different situations and ignore the experiences of people of color, you ignore the persisting racism in our society. Ignoring the problem will never solve it. Instead, we must engage in thoughtful conversation.
Talking about race is essential to "raise consciousness and lead to effective action and social change" (331). If we remain paralyzed by fear in the face of racism, we can't move to fight against racism. And change is essential. It may be easy, especially for white people, to argue that things are "good enough." However, we must bear witness to the fact that things aren't good enough—take police brutality for example. Black people are killed at twice as much as white people by police, despite making up a relatively small fraction of the United States' population. The institutional racism in our society harms all of us more than we realize. Even white people are harmed when there are members of our society who are oppressed. A fractured society with poor race relationships is much weaker than a society in which every life is valued—not just the lives of white people.
The moral of the story is, speak out. Do not allow yourself to be silenced by society or your own fears. Take part in education and self-discovery to understand yourself and the people around you. Most importantly, use your voice, as is our obligation to produce a better, happier, and more productive society.
Finally, a sentiment I have gained: I am not black but I see you. I am not black but I mourn with you. I am not black but I stand with you. I am not black but I will fight for you. Black Lives Matter.
Thank you for your honesty and openness, Addie. These are certainly important qualities that will go a long way in making a difference for others. I also appreciate your willingness to speak up in class.
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