An essential conversation for individuals, organizations, and communities to jump-start a dialogue on racism and bias and to transform well-intentioned statements on diversity into concrete actions. Dr. Livingston provides a compass for all those seeking to begin the work of anti-racism and how to become part of the solution.

For some, the existence of systemic racism against Black people is hard to accept because it violates the notion that the world is fair and just. But the rigid racial hierarchy created by slavery did not collapse after it was abolished, nor did it end with the civil rights era. Whether it’s the composition of a company’s leadership team or the composition of one’s neighborhood, these racial divides and disparities continue to show up in every facet of society. For Livingston, the difference between a solvable problem and a solved problem is knowledge, investment, and determination. And the goal of making organizations more diverse, equitable, and inclusive is within our capability. 

He is the author of The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth about Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations published by Penguin Random House in February 2021. Founded on principles of psychology, sociology, management, and behavioral economics, The Conversation is a road map for uprooting entrenched biases and sharing candid, fact-based perspectives on race that will lead to increased awareness, empathy, and action.

Dr. Robert Livingston is a social psychologist and one of the nation’s leading experts on the science underlying bias and racism. Livingston’s lifework is showing people how to turn difficult conversations about race into productive instances of real change. For decades he has translated science into practice for numerous organizations, served as a diversity consultant to scores of Fortune 500 companies, public-sector agencies, and non-profit organizations. Prior to joining the Harvard Kennedy School in 2015, he held professorships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and the University of Sussex, where he was the chair of the organizational behavior area as well as the founder and faculty director of Centre for Leadership, Ethics, and Diversity (LEAD).

Dr. Livingston’s research has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Harvard Business Review. His research ranges from micro-level investigations of the psychological and physiological processes that underlie unconscious bias—to more macro-level examinations how biases impact organizational diversity, leadership representation, and social justice. He is also known for his research on the intersectionality of race and gender, and how the nature of bias systematically differs for White women, Black women, and Black men.

His work has been published in top-tier academic journals such as the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Academy of Management Journal, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Psychological Science, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, and Leadership Quarterly.

THIS EVENT WILL BE LIVE AND IN-PERSON AT SPRINGFIELD SYMPHONY HALL. PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES:

• Everyone who attends an event at Springfield Symphony Hall must show proof of full vaccination for COVID-19 or a negative PCR test taken within the prior 72 hours and a valid ID.
• Children under the age of 12, who can’t be vaccinated yet, may attend, but they must wear a mask at all times and show a negative PCR test taken within the past 72 hours.
• All attendees will be required to wear face coverings while in the building except when eating or drinking, regardless of vaccination status.
• “Full vaccination” means being at least two weeks past the second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two weeks past the single shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
• “Proof of vaccination” consists of a CDC vaccination card or a clear, legible photocopy or photo of a vaccination card.
• Please plan to arrive a few minutes early to ensure a smooth and orderly flow into Symphony Hall.
• Please have your proof of vaccine or negative PCR test and a valid ID ready to show when you enter.
• Please bring a mask.