Events › Author Talk: Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum

The City-Wide Friends of the Boston Public Library and the Boston Public Library, as part Black History Month, are pleased to present the next speaker in the “Talks for Better Living” Series: Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, author of the acclaimed New York Times best-selling book, Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?

Dr. Tatum has built a national reputation for her research and writing about how race affects identity, learning, and community in schools and universities. Her work helps educators, students, and the public understand how racial identity develops and how racism operates in everyday life. Her scholarship draws on psychology and her own teaching experience.

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. Her 2025 book, Peril and Promise: College Leadership in Turbulent Times, delivers thought-provoking perspectives on the contemporary challenges and opportunities facing higher education in a time of rapid social change.

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. During the academic year 2022-23, she served as interim president at Mount Holyoke College.

The combination of her expertise and her engaging, conversational style make 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.

Copies of Dr.Tatum's books can be purchased and shipped nationwide from our independent bookstore partners at Porter Square Books.

Peril and Promise: College Leadership in Turbulent Times | Porter Square Books

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race | Porter Square Books

In partnership with the Citywide Friends of the Boston Public Library.

This program is a part of the ongoing author series Talks for Better Living, a collaboration between the Boston Public Library and the Citywide Friends of the BPL in partnership with Porter Square Books..

Previous talks in the series can be viewed HERE.

Programming like this is enabled through the generosity of a variety of public and private funding. To learn more and support our programming, visit the Boston Public Library Fund website.

Accessibility Notice: We strive to make our events accessible. To request a disability accommodation and/or language services, please contact the Adult Programs Department at programs@bpl.org or 617-859-2129 by November 28. Please allow at least two weeks to arrange for accommodations.