All quarter long, the UC Davis community has engaged in a discussion of race relations, race identity development and the educational achievement gap between races — all sparked by the community's reading of Beverly Daniel Tatum's book Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race.

Next week, Tatum herself will do the talking when she visits UC Davis as part of the Campus Community Book Project.

Tatum, a clinical psycholoigist, is the president ot Spellman College — and, according to book project organizers, “widely recognized as a scholar, teacher, expert on race relations and leader in higher education." In 2005, she received the Brock International Prize in Education for her innovative leadership.

Two public events are scheduled on Friday, Dec. 10:

• Forum@MC — Identity Politics: Deconstructing Arizona's Immigration and Etnic Studies Laws, a panel discussion with Tatum; Kevin Johnson, dean of the law school; Miroslava Chavez-Garcia, associate professor, Chicana/o studies; and Kevin Williams, Davis High School. 4-5 p.m., Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts.

• Author's address — Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race. 8 p.m., Jackson Hall.

The forum is free, whereas tickets are required for the nighttime talk. Tickets: (530) 754-2787 or (866) 754-2787, or mondaviarts.org.

FILM SERIES

Tatum's visit does not mark the end of the 2010-11 Campus Community Book Project. A three-part documentary film series is still to come, in February, March and May.

The series, Race: The Power of an Illusion, is free and open to the public. Each program is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Shields Library Instructional Lab (first floor), starting with the documentary (56 minutes) and ending with a discussion.

Here are the dates and documentary titles:

• Thursday, Feb. 3 — The Difference Between Us
• Wednesday, March 2 — The Story We Tell
• Thursday, May 12 — The House We Live In 

EXHIBITIONS

• Conversations About Race — Prepared by the General Library Committee on Diversity, this exhibition includes selections from the book project author's list of additional resources for further reading and books that reference her scholarship in the area of racial identity development. Through spring quarter, lobby, Shields Library. More information.

• I Am ... — Earlier this quarter, the "I Am ..." organizers asked members of the campus community to share their identities, by giving life to the statement: "I am ... ." The organizers asked for any kind of submission: words alone, perhaps in poetic form, or drawings — anything that represents who you are. Those submissions are on display through Dec. 10 in three venues: Mrak Hall (first floor), Hart Hall (second floor) and the Women's Resources and Research Center (Righteous Babes Lounge).

• Who We Are: Selections from the Chicana/o Studies Poster Workshop — Through Dec. 17, ArtLounge, second floor, Memorial Union. The workshop, under the leadership of Carlos Jackson, assistant professor, sees the poster as a voice art form used by Chicanas/os and other people of color to point to the defects of social and political existence and the possibility of change, from the artists’ perspectives, according to the course description.

DISCUSSIONS

• Inter-Professional Brown Bag Lunch Book Club, based in the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing and the School of Medicine — The club plans to continue its discussion of Tatum’s book (Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race) at one more meeting, noon-1 p.m. today (Dec. 3), in 1222 Education Building on the Sacramento campus. (The Dec. 3 date is correct; previous posts gave an incorrect date.)

• Davis Faith and Social Justice Group — Second and fourth Thursdays through fall. Potluck dinner at 6 p.m., followed by book discussion at 6:30. For more information, including the location, contact Jill Van Zanten, jillvz@sbcglobal.net.

• Anti-Racism Task Team and Adult Religious Exploration Committee, Unitarian Universalist Church of Davis — 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, 27074 Patwin Road. For more information, contact Leanne Friedman, ljfriedman@ucdavis.edu.

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More information on the Campus Community Book Project, including the complete schedule.

Earlier coverage: “2010-11 theme examines racial identity, access to higher education” (Feb. 26, 2010)

Office of Campus Community Relations