Beverly Tatum

Beverly Tatum, presently the president of Spelman College, is the author of Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? Given that the book is an extended argument in favor of her concept of racism, racial identity, its causes and remedies, she counts as the most important person in the book. Further, she reveals much about her own personality and history, so in some ways she features as a character, particularly in those aspects of the book where she describes her interactions with children, her students, her own children and adults in racial dialogue.

Tatum's opinions are made clear and explicit throughout the book. She understands racism as any system of advantage based on racism, which to many will seem both under and over inclusive. In her view, subordinated classes based on race cannot be racist (seeming under inclusive) and a society can be...