Blog Post #4 Defining Racism Tatum

 

                                                  Defining Racism Can We Talk: Daniel Tatum

Argument - The author, Daniel Tatum argues that there is a major importance of teaching racism in schools, especially at a younger age. He explains that young students need to be made aware of this concept because it plays such a  role in our society today. Between bitter political debates, and news coverage of police brutality and shootings against African Americans, it it likely these students will be exposed to this concept on their own. It is important to give them an educated view on this topic, in a safe environment where this complex and uncomfortable concept can be learned. 

Daniel Tatum explains the main issue of racism and that is stereotypes. This is highlighted when he explains that in their daily lives, students can have assumptions due to cultural differences that can go unchallenged until they are adults. This highlights the main issue we have not teaching students about racism. When they form these assumptions, they carry these with them almost their entire lives. Changing a belief someone has had their whole life, rather than changing it right away is Daniel Tatum's main point. Tatum argues that it is just as important to teach students about cultural differences as well as acceptance. Tatum argues that these assumptions are what lead to prejudice, which is preconformed opinions on a group of people with limited information. These prejudices are the root of racism in our society because they force us to stay away from one another based on our conceptions of one another. Breaking these prejudices down, and teaching young students why these preconceptions are wrong, will not fully solve the problem of racism in our society, but will be a step in the right direction.

Comments  -  The main point that stuck out to me the most is his example of Cleopatra. He used her as a symbol of why teaching cultural diversity and acceptance is so important. The example follows two white students talking to each other when one tells the other that they had just found out Cleopatra is actually black. The other white students cannot believe it, because throughout her whole life she thought she was white. Many students, some black students too, probably think Cleopatra is white too. This extends into Hollywood and advertisements, where most models that are used are white women. They are this preconception that to be beautiful you have to look like them, and a main characteristic of that is whiteness. Imagine having a young Black student find out that this imagine of beauty, who was seen as white all her life, was actually just like her. This highlights why cultural diversity and teaching the correct information about history is so important in schools.

Hyperlinks  -  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LrhaF34dA0HaJDADXJi7WTvfcjedoVDmjiI6W_VvNUc/edit