Ep 1 - Robert Livingston: Using Metaphor to Combat Racism

Speaking Human-First

Social psychologist Robert Livingston has been studying the science underlying bias and racism for 20 years. But it’s his mastery of language that empowers and inspires.

Dr. Livingston wears many hats. He serves on the faculty of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, teaching leaders in the public and private sectors how to lead more inclusive organizations. He is the award-winning author of The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations. And he is a diversity consultant to Fortune 500 companies, public-sector agencies, and non-profit organizations.

But the road to recognition hasn’t come easy. Listen as Dr. Livingston offers hard-won lessons learned in becoming a public figure.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How Dr. Livingston’s youth in a predominantly Black neighborhood shaped how he responded with intellectual curiosity to racism as a young adult
• How the myth of a post-racial America has emerged and altered the dynamics of racism in the last 15 years
• An introduction to Dr. Livingston’s P.R.E.S.S model for making profound and sustainable change
• The psychological, structural, and historical underpinnings of inequality
• How Dr. Livingston uses metaphor and storytelling to distill complex systemic issues into easier-to-understand concepts
• Dolphins, ostriches, and sharks in the social landscape and why DEI efforts need to be tailored to each group

Learn more about Dr. Robert Livingston:

• Website
• Connect on LinkedIn
• The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth about Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations

Learn more about Mary Knox Miller:

• Thought Leader Media
• Connect on LinkedIn

Resources:

• 13th
• Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman