In most situations, African -Americans come together for comfort, support, and self-awareness. Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? By Beverly Daniel Tatum, examines the phenomenon of conscious/unconscious racial clustering. Walk into just about any situation, and it present, groups divided by race.

“Most of the black students….seldom attended the extracurricular activates. The young woman indicated she was not going….teacher said “Oh come one, I know you people love to dance……white friends doesn’t get it. She doesn’t see the significance of the racial message, but the girls at the Black table do. When she tells her story, one of them is likely to say “You know what Mr. Smith said the same thing to me yesterday!” Not only are Black adolescents encountering racism and reflecting on their identity, but their White peers, even when they are not the perpetrators (and sometimes they are), are unprepared to respond in supportive way.” (59 & 60)

In the quoted passage Tatum gives a very good example of why the Black students sit together. The majority of the Black students, who attend the predominately white school, do not feel comfortabl

in the minority. I have been in situations were I need another Black person there to understand and support me. I am not saying White people cannot understand anything

I agree with Tatum’s passage because the majority of Whites cannot identify with Blacks. They do not experience life in the same perspective. Because they do not experience life the same, they cannot relate in certain situations. If someone says something hurtful concerning race, anyone would want support from his or her friends. But what happens when that friend is not of the same race, that friend is unprepared to be supportive. Some of a different racial background might make light of the situation. Tatum uses this to explain why there is a Black table. The black students need a place to sit and speak freely and not worry about offending anyone. The students need to feel a sense of belonging. African-American in general like to feel accepted, so they naturally turn to someone of the same color who can relate to their everyday life. People of Color crave situation where they can be themselves and still fit into the group.

happy I did my best and received good grades. The begginng of middle school I moved to

that goes on in a Black’s life but there are some instances where they have no clue.

e attending the extracurricular activates. A black female student tells a teacher she is not attending the school dance. Instead of asking why not, <

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