Can We Talk about Race?: And Other Conversations in an Era of School Resegregation by Beverly Tatum

to sophomores in my Psychology of Racism course, a popular elective course that I taught for many years. Because the course was often oversubscribed, I had given preference to seniors, recognizing that it might be their last opportunity to take it. But when I started giving priority to sophomores instead, the benefit of the course to the campus community increased. The sophomores who emerged from the course with a better understanding of the historical context of racism and the meaning of racial identity in a race-conscious society were able to use that understanding in their interactions with fellow students in ways that positively impacted the campus. These were the students who initiated dialogue groups on campus, brought a multicultural perspective to their student organizations, and began to expand their own horizons by seeking out friendship networks more diverse than those they had before taking the course, and still had two more years to practice those skills before they moved on to the next phase of their lives. Courses that actively encourage cross-group dialogue can be very useful, but they need to happen early in the young person’s college experience for maximum benefit.
    A great example of a first-year seminar that affirms identity, builds community, and cultivates leadership is the African Diaspora and the World (ADW) course at Spelman. Established in 1992 as a writing-intensive seminar required for all first-year students, its creation was a faculty-directed effort to reimagine the World Civilization (History) and World Literature (English) core course requirements in ways that would (1) place the African Diaspora at the center of the student’s sociohistorical, literary, and cultural studies; (2) reflect the shifting demographics of the United States and the world; and (3) prepare Spelman women for a new era of diversity and global interaction. Described in the Spelman course catalog as a two-semester course that “seeks to examine the major themes associated with the African Diaspora within a global context and from perspectives that are both interdisciplinary and gender-informed,” ADW is now a signature course at Spelman, considered by many Spelman students to be one of their most powerful and personally defining educational experiences at the college.
    A foundational course that speaks to the identity issues that motivated many of them to choose Spelman College, ADW is frequently the one course that alumnae say has most influenced both their career success and dedication to promoting social justice. It connects directly to the Spelman College mission of “empowering the total person,” who not only understands and appreciates the many cultures of the world, but also has a deeper understanding of her own and other cultures of Africa and its Diaspora.
    The connection to identity is clear, but it also builds community as a shared intellectual experience, and helps students to understand the diversity within the Spelman community, as our students represent various communities of the African Diaspora. As their understanding of their global awareness expands, their capacity for leadership is enhanced.
    As curricular and programmatic innovation is considered, we must also remember that this is not work that can be done well quickly. You can’t bring a complex conversation about race to closure in the two hours of a single afternoon workshop, or even a whole day of resident adviser (RA) orientation. Too often what is accomplished in that period of time is just enough to generate anxiety, and anxiety often leads to avoidance. Put simply, “I don’t want to talk about it” becomes a common response. An article I wrote in 1992 describes the emotional responses that students, both White students and students of color, are likely to have to race-related information, and what we can do to keep them in the dialogue long enough to get to the place where they actually feel the benefit of the conversation. 13