When Beverly Daniel Tatum wrote her bestselling book on the psychology of racism, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?, she hoped to move people beyond fear, anger, and denial to a better understanding of what racism is, how it impacts us all, and ultimately what we can do about it. Two decades later, that remains a struggle.

Walk into any racially mixed high school cafeteria and you’ll still likely see black, white, and Latino youth clustered in their own groups—a self-segregation extending to college dining halls, faculty lounges, and corporate cafeterias. Tatum, president emerita of Spelman College and a nationally recognized authority on racial issues in the U.S., looks anew at the issue and what she sees as a continued futility in attempting to discuss racial differences.

Co-presented by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

The Library and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation present a series of community conversations about the psychology of racism and the urgency of communication across racial and ethnic divides as outlined in Beverly Tatum’s groundbreaking work Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race. A limited number of complimentary copies of the book are available at Library locations hosting discussions. No RSVPs necessary; check with customer service desk staff at the locations below for more details.