Can We Talk About Race? And Other Conversations in an Era of School Resegregation.(Book review)

CAN WE TALK ABOUT RACE? AND OTHER CONVERSATIONS IN AN ERA OF SCHOOL RESEGREGATION

By Beverly Daniel Tatum

Beacon Press, 147 pages

BEVERLY DANIEL TATUM'S NEW BOOK is an accessible and engaging take on a broad range of issues regarding race and education, from the history of school resegregation to culturally responsive teaching practices and interracial friendships. Written as the inaugural volume for a collaborative lecture and book series sponsored by Beacon Press and Simmons College, Tatum's work tackles where the political and the personal meet for educators. The book addresses why it is particularly important for educators to examine their own prejudices and have honest dialogues about how racism is manifested in classrooms.

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A powerful section of Tatum's book looks at how system-wide practices, such as racist intelligence testing, and interpersonal dynamics, such as teachers' lowered expectations of students of color, are negatively impacting students' school performance. Although many authors have written about these issues, Tatum connects the theories in a way that clarifies the serious reform needed today in education. She then suggests ways that individual teachers can take action to reform their practice, such as being clear about standards for evaluation and building a system for all students to receive help so that none are stigmatized for doing so. But she does not leave it at that. Tatum immediately connects individual action to a call for system-wide reform.

The stories and case studies included throughout the book help bring the theory to life. In one instance, after ...