Beverly Tatum

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.