Assimilation Blues: Black Families In White Communities, Who Succeeds And Why

by Beverly Daniel Tatum

What does it mean to be Black in a white, middle-class community? Is it the ultimate symbol of success? Or will one pay in isolation, alienation, rootlessness? What price must one pay for paradise? Is the price too high?Beverly Daniel Tatum, a renowned authority on the psychology of racism, interviewed Black families in depth to identify the sacrifices and achievements necessary to survive and prosper in a white community. For the Black citizens of “Sun Beach,” dual-income households, religious affiliation, and extended families help maintain stability. But with assimilation comes an insidious “hidden racism,” subtly communicated when Black children aren’t called on in class and revealed more fully in incidents of racial name-calling. By listening to the individual voices of these children and their parents, Dr. Tatum skillfully probes the complex questions of identity that arise for a visible people rendered invisible by their surroundings.

Genres: Nonfiction, Race, Cultural, Social Justice, Historical, Anti Racist

156 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Dr. Beverly Christine Daniel Tatum (M.A., Religious Studies, Hartford Seminary, 2000; Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, University of Michigan, 1984; M.A., Clinical Psych., U.M., 1976; B.A., Psychology, Wesleyan University, 1971) is President Emerita of Spelman College, having served 13 years as President until her 2012 retirement. She is a psychologist and writes on race relations.

Previously, Dr. Tatum serves as Psychology Deopartment Chair at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, and professor of Psychology at Westfield State College (1983–89). She started her academic career teaching Black Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara, 1980–83.

The American Psychological Association presented its highest honor to Dr. Tatum, the 2014 Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contribution to Psychology.

Reviews

[Kristy Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps this book was written for those who are unaware of life in "Sun Beach". As a resident, I found it both comforting and unsettling. The book didn't offer any guidance, but it was oddly comforting to know that my family and I aren't alone. With that being being said, it's a good book. Clinical, yes. But informative, especially for those who are curious to know more about the black experience in suburbia.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read, but a bit clinical for my taste. Tatum clearly constructed this book to read more like a study than as literature, which makes sense given her background as a psychologist and psychology professor. Not my favorite work by her, but also one of her earliest pieces...