Why are all the black children sitting together in the cafeteria?IntroductionTatum's book "Why are all the black children sitting together in the cafeteria?" (1997) analyzes the development of racial identity and the influence of racism in American culture. Highlights black-white interactions by comparing the terminology in which racism is perceived based on David Wellman's definition of racism. Tatum also believes that racism is not about a particular person, but about a cultural situation in which ethnicity gives some groups significantly privileged status over others. It illustrates how engaging children in interracial understanding will enable them to respond to racial stereotypes and systems of discrimination. Talking about racismTatum: The author states that racism is everywhere around us and we should talk about racial discrimination. Throughout his book he explains the hesitation people have in talking about racism. She argues that people keep quiet for fear of being rude, indiscreet and violating boundaries. Answer: I find the statement that people are silent out of fear to be true. I try to avoid conversations that might offend someone or be misinterpreted. Remember a conversation with a friend once. We were watching the movie “The Lion King” when he jokingly compared me to the laughing hyena. I jokingly compared him to the voodoo sorcerer who happens to be a monkey. To my surprise, he asked, “Did you choose the monkey because I was black?” I was so embarrassed and ashamed when I hurt his feelings, that I never thought of it as a racial comparison. Even though we laughed about it, it still bothered me that I hurt his feelings. Just this week I thought I might offend someone because I was reading Tatum's...half of the paper...which means to be Black. Doesn't that still divide the lines of humanity based on the color of a person's skin? I thank statements like that “race-conscious” parents who teach their children to be black are forming prejudices. I teach my children to be kind to others, not what it means to be white. In interracial relationships if they have a child what should the child be taught? Like being black or white because thank you it's true, children are taught racial differences by their parents and other adults. Personally, I find that most mixed-race children have the perfect skin color that we all try to achieve. I'm not sure I would recommend reading Tatum's book to discourage racism, although it raises some valid points. Works Cited Tatum, B. D. (1997). Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria? And more conversations about race. New York, NY: Basic Books.