Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum is the author of the New York Times best-selling book, “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” and Other Conversations About Race as well as Can We Talk About Race? and Other Conversations in an Era of School Resegregation. An award-winning psychologist widely known for her expertise on race relations and as a thought leader in higher education, she is president emerita of Spelman College. Her thirteen years as the president of Spelman College (2002-2015) were marked by innovation and growth and her visionary leadership was recognized in 2013 with the Carnegie Academic Leadership Award. In spring 2017 she was the Mimi and Peter E. Haas Distinguished Visitor at Stanford University. Most recently, she served as interim president at Mount Holyoke College during academic year 2022-23.
The combination of her expertise and her engaging, conversational style have made Tatum a sought-after speaker on the topic of higher education leadership, strategies for creating inclusive campus and work environments, and the impact of race in the classroom.
Dr. Tatum holds a B.A. degree in psychology from Wesleyan University, and M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan as well as an M.A. in Religious Studies from Hartford International University (formerly Hartford Seminary). She was the 2014 recipient of the American Psychological Association Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to Psychology.
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Can We Talk about Race? and Other Conversations in an Era of School Resegregation
[2007] -
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and Other Conversations about Race
[1997 and 2017] -
Assimilation Blues: Black Families in a White Community
[1987] -
Talking to Kids About Racial Injustice with Lester Holt
#NightlyKids [June 16, 2021] -
A 23-Year-Old Book About Race Landed on the Best-Seller List Because It’s Still Relevant
The New York Times [June 18, 2020] -
How To Talk About Race And Protests With Your Kids, Explained By A Child Psychologist
NPR here & Now [June 10, 2020] -
Coming Together, Standing Up to Racism: CNN/Sesame Street Town Hall for Kids and Families
CNN [June 6, 2020] -
George Floyd. Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. What do we tell our children
USA Today [May 31, 2020] -
Building a Road to Diversity
Chronicle of Higher Education [2004] -
Talking about Race, Learning about Racism: An Application of Racial Identity Development Theory in the Classroom
Harvard Educational Review [1992]