"Defining Racism," by B.D. Tatum

“Defining Racism” is a difficult task especially because oftentimes examples of it are either not recognized or simply ignored by those in the so-called “superior” white race, so much so that they fail to acknowledge they are indeed a part of it. The author B.D. Tatum wrote a book titled, “Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?; and Other Conversations about Race,” explains her definition of racism and why the issues surrounding racism must be incorporated in the education of our students and society as a whole. Tatum explains that when discussing issues of race with others during her research and career, she has found that there is always someone who thinks racism is no longer a problem in our country. These people are ignorant to the prejudices, stereotypes, and disadvantages within our culture and according to Tatum, and furthermore these are the ones that have flat out not been “paying attention to issues of race” (Tatum, 1997, 3). I found her studies with young children to be an excellent way to show how our culture places stereotypes and bias on “people of color” even in children as young as 3 and 4 years old. Movies and children’s books supply images and ideals about different types of people, not all of which are negative or intentional. For instance, when the children were asked to draw an Indian, the majority of the class drew a dark skinned person with a feather and/or a weapon of some type. Without knowing any actual information about Native Americans or Indians they all drew what they had seen before through the media. At this age they are not knowledgeable enough to understand what certain types of people might REALLY be like or even have the opportunity to interact with and get to know them. This adds validity to the argument that our culture almost subconsciously displays pictures of certain types of people that teach our children a certain stereotyped view of what these people may be like. Because the young children are technically neutral minds at this point and have only had their families and the media around them to build their assumptions and opinions about people, it becomes obvious that these are very influential sources on their ideas about others. “Cultural racism” has formed in America through our social, economic, and political systems teaches children that there is an “assumed superiority of white’s and an assumed inferiority of people of color” (Tatum, 1997, 6). I DO NOT support this “system” of racism that has formed in our country and hope that one day I can actively participate in reversing this problem and how we teach children about others.