The Conversation

December 7, 2020
Social psychologist Livingston debuts with an optimistic guide for “turn difficult conversations about race into productive outcomes.” Drawing on his work as a diversity consultant for corporations including Airbnb, Livingston structures the book as a “road map” for fostering the kinds of discussions that can lead to a more equitable society. Steps for uniting people of different backgrounds in the cause of anti-racism include coming up with a working definition of racism, identifying the structural origins of racial inequality, discussing the psychological causes of in-group bias, sketching the moral and economic costs of racial prejudice, and outlining the steps organization leaders and employees can make toward “real progress.” Livingston includes a wealth of sociological research into how stereotypes form and the ways in which Blacks and other minority groups have been held back in American society, and points to the success of recent public and private sector initiatives including a JPMorgan Chase program to improve the financial wellness and educational and career prospects of people of color. Readers looking to implement the lessons of Ibram X. Kendi’s How to Be An Antiracist and Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility in a professional setting will find this to be a useful guide.