(5 of 5)
That in itself can breed bigotry. One black Newark, N.J., teen interviewed by TIME launched into an ugly tirade about Jews--but many more expressed a sense of catharsis simply to be talking about the racial difficulties they face. On the other hand, white teens interviewed seemed to have more trouble discussing racial issues, and were often unable to even find the words to describe their feelings about ethnicity. Part of the problem, according to psychologist Tatum, is that some parents, particularly white ones, silence their children when racial issues are raised. This is done, sometimes, as part of a well-meaning effort to teach children that such distinctions don't matter. But as a result of such silencing, children are left without answers to their questions and without the social skills to deal with racial issues.
Some youngsters are trying to reach beyond the silence. After Gullatte had his fight with skinheads in his school, he felt he had no one to talk to. He has since joined Group X, a program started in the Cobb County school system in 1993 in which students meet on a semiregular basis and discuss race. Some 450 students are signed up. The meetings, held in groups of about 20, can get emotional. At a recent session, Alison Garcia, 12, stood up, tears in her eyes, and exclaimed, "All Hispanics are not dumb! You don't know me. My father and my uncle were part of the Cherokee tribe, and my uncle had the highest scores in school." Says Gullatte: "What the Group X project did was help me to be able to tell other people about [my experiences] and say what I really feel." It's just talk. But it's a start.
--With reporting by Kevin Fedarko/Chicago, Sylvester Monroe/Atlanta, Elaine Rivera/Teaneck and James Willwerth/Los Angeles