I have a tip! I use "Why are all the black kids..." in my intro course in a predominantly white college. When I began using it, I went on Amazon.com and printed out all the customer reviews. There are a lot, and a big range of reviews that you could use in multiple ways, but what I did was highlight some of the really harsh, defensive reactions from what I take to be defensive white people, read them out loud to my students, and ask them where they think these reactions are coming from, what they think is going on. This has the effect of addressing head-on whatever thoughts and feelings they might be having but may be reluctant to discuss, or that might otherwise emerge in the form of vitriol, but this method softens it, deflecting it from themselves--it opens up the discussion so they can talk about their reactions and others reactions without attacking each other or feeling attacked. It makes it possible to discuss white defensiveness and liberal racism more openly.
Another thing I do, in the first day of teaching it, is do the exercise she talks about in the first chapter--ask students to get in small groups and talk about their earliest memory associated with race, what emotions it brought up, whether they talked with anyone about it. Then we talk about it in the large group. In general, this book really lends itself to different kinds of autobiographical reflection for students. Kelly Besecke ______________________________________________________________ Assistant Professor of Sociology Department of Sociology * Palme House 105 * Kenyon College * Gambier OH 43022 tel: 740-427-5854 * fax: 740-427-5815 * email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Nijole Benokraitis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > In the past, my students have enjoyed Black Picket Fences and No Shame in My > Game. This semester, I'll be using, and for the first time, "Why Are All the > Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" If any of you have used > Cafeteria, any tips? > > niki
