Beverly Daniel Tatum facts for kids

Beverly Christine Daniel Tatum (born September 27, 1954) is an American psychologist, leader, and teacher. She has studied and written books about racism. Her work often focuses on race in schools, how teenagers develop their racial identity, and how Black families and young people fit into white neighborhoods. Dr. Tatum uses stories from her students, her own life, and what she learned in psychology.

From 2002 to 2015, Dr. Tatum was the ninth president of Spelman College. This college is the oldest historically Black women's college in the United States.

Early Life and Education

Beverly Tatum was born on September 27, 1954, in Tallahassee, Florida. Her parents were Catherine Faith Maxwell and Robert A. Daniel. She calls herself an "integration baby." This is because she was born just four months after a big court decision in 1954. This decision, called Brown v. Board of Education, made it illegal to separate students by race in schools.

Dr. Tatum grew up in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. She remembers often being the only Black student in her classes. Many people in her family, including her parents and grandparents, went to important historically black colleges and universities. These include the Tuskegee Institute and Howard University.

Dr. Tatum finished high school in 1971. She later earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Wesleyan University. She also received two master's degrees and a Ph.D. (doctorate) in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan. In 2000, she earned another master's degree in religious studies from Hartford Seminary.

Career in Education

Dr. Tatum started her teaching career at the University of California at Santa Barbara from 1980 to 1983. There, she taught Black studies. She then became a psychology professor at Westfield State College (1983–1989). After that, she taught psychology for thirteen years at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts.

At Mount Holyoke, she also held several leadership roles. She was the head of the Psychology Department, the dean of the college, and the vice president for student affairs. She even served as the acting president of the college for a short time.

In 2002, Dr. Tatum became the president of Spelman College. This is a historically Black women's college in Atlanta, Georgia. Her time there was very successful. She led a 10-year effort that greatly increased donations from former students. This effort raised $157.8 million for the college.

Dr. Tatum is an expert in how people develop their racial identity. She has shared her knowledge at talks, workshops, and discussions across the country. She even spoke at a public conversation about race relations hosted by President Bill Clinton.

Besides being a teacher and author, Dr. Tatum also worked as a clinical psychologist from 1988 to 1998. She helped groups and individuals learn about diversity training and how to make organizations more inclusive.

In 2014, she was chosen to be a member of the American Philosophical Society. This is a very old and respected group that promotes knowledge.

Beverly Daniel Tatum retired in July 2015 as President Emerita of Spelman College. This means she is still honored as a past president. After retiring, she focused on writing, giving talks, and sharing her knowledge about racial identity development.

In March 2022, it was announced that Dr. Tatum would return to Mount Holyoke. She served as interim president for one year, starting July 1, 2022.

Understanding Race and Education

In a well-known article, Dr. Beverly Tatum wrote about her experiences teaching classes on race. The article was called Talking about Race, Learning about Racism: The Application of Racial Identity Development Theory in the Classroom. In it, she explained how a theory about racial identity can help understand how students react to these topics.

She has always believed that helping students understand racism and what they can do about it is a very important responsibility.

Over her many years as a teacher, Dr. Tatum taught a class called "Psychology of Racism" eighteen times. She taught it at three different schools. Even though the classes and students were different, she noticed a common way students reacted. They often felt strong emotions like guilt, shame, or anger. These feelings could sometimes stop them from fully understanding the material.

Dr. Tatum explains that students sometimes resist talking about race. This is partly because it's a sensitive topic. Also, in America, people often believe that hard work alone leads to success. This idea can clash with understanding how race affects lives. White students, especially, might not realize how race has shaped their own experiences.

She uses William E. Cross, Jr.'s Racial Identity Development Theory to explain this resistance. This theory looks at the psychological journey of understanding one's racial group. There are different models for Black and White people, with different stages of development.

As a professor, Dr. Tatum saw many students go through these stages. She shared parts of student journals where they wrote about their reactions to class discussions. These journals showed that students' personal journeys often matched the racial identity theory. Dr. Tatum believes this theory is a helpful tool. It allows students to understand their experiences and grow in a positive way.

Dr. Tatum discusses many of these ideas in her popular book, "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" And Other Conversations About Race. In this book, she explains in detail how Black and White people develop their racial identity. She also briefly talks about Native Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans.

She uses personal stories from her own children and students, along with research, to show why racial identity development is important. It affects how well people do in school, their mental health, and how included they feel. Dr. Tatum stresses that teachers, parents, and everyone should learn about these topics. This helps them have meaningful conversations about race, especially concerning education.

Legacy and Impact

In 2014, the American Psychological Association gave Beverly Daniel Tatum their highest honor. It was the Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contribution to Psychology. The award recognized her work on the difficult topic of race relations in the United States. It also honored her studies on how this environment affects the identity development of African Americans.

Dr. Tatum has spent much of her career talking to the public about race and racial identity. Because of this, she has become a well-known expert on these issues. She has been invited to speak and lead workshops at many schools and organizations across the country.

Dr. Tatum also left a lasting impact at Spelman College, where she was president for 13 years. During her time, the financial support for students at Spelman doubled. She also helped start the "Going Global" program. This program helps students learn about different cultures through study abroad trips.

In 2012, she launched a "Wellness Revolution." This program encouraged students to make healthy choices about exercise, diet, and sleep. In 2014, Dr. Tatum helped the college raise $157.8 million. This amount was much more than their goal and was the most money ever raised in the college's history.

Selected Works

• Tatum, B. (1994). "Teaching White students about racism: The search for White allies and the restoration of hope". The Teachers College Record, 95(4), 462–476.
• Assimilation Blues: Black Families in a White Community (revised), 2000.
• Tatum, B. D. (2000). "The complexity of identity: Who am I". Readings for Diversity and Social Justice, 9–14.
• Lawrence, S. M., & Tatum, B. D. (2004). "White educators as allies: Moving from awareness to action". In Off white: Readings on power, privilege, and resistance. pp. 362–372.
• Tatum, B. D. (2004). "Family life and school experience: Factors in the racial identity development of Black youth in White communities". Journal of Social Issues, 60(1), 117–135.

See also

• Presidents and principals of Mount Holyoke College