Two decades ago, Beverly Daniel Tatum posed a question to the world in the book Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? The author, psychologist and president emerita of Spelman College responded to the question while deeply delving into issues of race and racial identity in her 1997 best-selling book.
“It’s not a surprise when we see young people, particularly in adolescence, gathering together in similar groups,” Tatum told The Root, adding, “Of course, it’s not just black kids; it’s Latinos, it’s Asians, it’s Native Americans. You see white kids sitting together, too, but people usually don’t comment on that.”
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the book’s publication. But has anything changed? Check out the above video for more.