{"id":320777,"date":"2021-02-11T16:52:41","date_gmt":"2021-02-11T21:52:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/?p=320777"},"modified":"2024-01-11T11:58:44","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T16:58:44","slug":"lecturer-robert-livingston-offers-a-blueprint-for-radical-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2021\/02\/lecturer-robert-livingston-offers-a-blueprint-for-radical-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking systemic racism from a solvable problem to an achievable solution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\n
\"Zoom

Robert Livingston (right) speaks about the most effective path for addressing systemic racism, moderated by Iris Bohnet, (left) Harvard Kennedy School Academic dean. Jacob Blair ’22 listens. <\/p>

Kris Snibbe\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\t

\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tNation & World\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t

\n\t\tTaking systemic racism from a solvable problem to an achievable solution\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\tBrett Milano\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\tHarvard Correspondent\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/address>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tLecturer Robert Livingston offers a blueprint for radical change\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n
\n

It has bedeviled Americans almost since the country\u2019s founding, but systemic racism is a solvable problem, lecturer in public policy Robert Livingston argues in his recent book, \u201cThe Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth about Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations.\u201d And at a Kennedy School talk this week, he outlined ways that individuals and organizations can move forward \u2014 especially when change is supported from the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe million-dollar question that I\u2019ve been working on is, how do we turn a solvable problem into an achievable solution?\u201d he asked the audience at the moderated talk \u201cWhere Do we Go From Here: Making Progress Toward Racial Equity.\u201d As a social psychologist, Livingston said he has found that subtle persuasion can be more convincing on the individual level than facts and figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Livingston cited a city police force he once helped train to be aware of implicit bias. The mostly white officers nodded passively at the facts he presented but had little reaction \u2014 \u201cUntil the one Black police officer on this force broke down in tears, because he could relate to all of this. The data was basically his life on the force \u2014 for example, some citizens in the town had actually called the police on him while he was in uniform walking the beat. All of a sudden the White officers are captivated; they now believe that racism is a real thing. I was a little bit annoyed because I thought, \u2018How scientific is that?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This experience, however, led to his book\u2019s main thesis: that human connection is the best vehicle for social change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have a line that says \u2018There can\u2019t be social change without social exchange.\u2019 I\u2019m actually providing a template for information, conversation, and action,\u201d he said. He said leaders at organizations need to think deeply about their problems and their causes before jumping to solutions \u2014 particularly when the problem is racism, which he noted many white Americans aren\u2019t convinced even exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a problem is identified, the next step is to develop empathy, and then move to concrete strategies. This, Livingston said, involves changing how people look at each other \u2014 \u201cdecategorizing\u201d them by racial stereotypes, and \u201crecategorizing\u201d them as individuals or teammates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a case closer to Harvard. Livingston reported how Massport changed the way it evaluated construction proposals for the Omni Seaport Hotel in Boston to include diversity as a selection criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wrote a case on this at Harvard and when I interviewed one of the developers he said \u2018I\u2019m not racist, I\u2019m just busy,\u2019 meaning that his job in the past was to get from point A to point B. This policy now gave him an incentive to look for more diverse subcontractors and as a matter of fact, he did.\u201d As a result, diversity on the Omni project rose to 35 diversity, with more Black- and Latino-owned businesses on the site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe moral of the story is, it never would have happened without the policy,\u201d Livingston said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kennedy School Academic Dean Iris Bohnet, who moderated the talk, noted an organizational effort at the Kennedy School about a decade ago that responded to Professor Jane Mansbridge\u2019s realization that most of the portraits on the School\u2019s walls were of white men. Since then, new portraits have been commissioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Livingston agreed that changes of iconography have a psychological impact on biases. \u201cIt may seem like a small thing, but research has shown it\u2019s not,\u201d he said. \u201cThis gets back to the debate last year about Civil War monuments, and the impact that they had.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responding to a student question, he emphasized the need for organizational leaders to make the effort. \u201cI don\u2019t think any of the burden should be on the targets of discrimination, it should be on the leaders. It\u2019s hard to make societal change, you can\u2019t boil the ocean. But you can boil a kettle or a pond.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At a Kennedy School talk, lecturer Robert Livingston outlined ways organizations can help lessen racism.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":105622744,"featured_media":320998,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"gz_ga_pageviews":28,"gz_ga_lastupdated":"2022-02-11 04:22","document_color_palette":"crimson","author":"Brett Milano","affiliation":"Harvard 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","mediaHeight":1667,"mediaId":320998,"mediaType":"image","mediaUrl":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/021021_RacialEquity_773.jpg","mediaWidth":2500,"poster":"","subheading":"Lecturer Robert Livingston offers a blueprint for radical change","title":"Taking systemic racism from a solvable problem to an achievable solution","className":"is-style-full-width-text-below","backgroundFixed":false,"backgroundTone":"light","coloredBackground":false,"coloredHeading":true,"displayDetails":"","displayOverlay":true,"displayTitle":"","fadeInText":false,"isAmbient":false,"mediaLength":"","mediaPosition":"","mediaSize":"header-full","posterText":"","titleAbove":false,"useUncroppedImage":false,"lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img alt=\"Zoom screenshot with Robert Livingston, Iris Bohnet, and Jacob Blair.\" height=\"1667\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/021021_RacialEquity_773.jpg\" width=\"2500\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">Robert Livingston (right) speaks about the most effective path for addressing systemic racism, moderated by Iris Bohnet, (left) Harvard Kennedy School Academic dean. Jacob Blair '22 listens. <\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Kris Snibbe\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","innerContent":["\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img alt=\"Zoom screenshot with Robert Livingston, Iris Bohnet, and Jacob Blair.\" height=\"1667\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/021021_RacialEquity_773.jpg\" width=\"2500\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">Robert Livingston (right) speaks about the most effective path for addressing systemic racism, moderated by Iris Bohnet, (left) Harvard Kennedy School Academic dean. Jacob Blair '22 listens. <\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Kris Snibbe\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n"],"rendered":"<header\n\tclass=\"wp-block-harvard-gazette-article-header alignfull article-header is-style-full-width-text-below centered-image\"\n\tstyle=\" \"\n>\n\t\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img alt=\"Zoom screenshot with Robert Livingston, Iris Bohnet, and Jacob Blair.\" height=\"1667\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/021021_RacialEquity_773.jpg\" width=\"2500\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">Robert Livingston (right) speaks about the most effective path for addressing systemic racism, moderated by Iris Bohnet, (left) Harvard Kennedy School Academic dean. Jacob Blair '22 listens. <\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Kris Snibbe\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\t<div class=\"article-header__content\">\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"article-header__category\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/nation-world\/\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\tNation & World\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t<h1 class=\"article-header__title wp-block-heading \">\n\t\tTaking systemic racism from a solvable problem to an achievable solution\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<div class=\"article-header__meta\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-author\">\n\t\t\t<address class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"author wp-block-post-author__name\">\n\t\tBrett Milano\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-post-author__byline\">\n\t\t\tHarvard Correspondent\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/address>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<time class=\"article-header__date\" datetime=\"2021-02-11\">\n\t\t\tFebruary 11, 2021\t\t<\/time>\n\n\t\t<span class=\"article-header__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t4 min read\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-header__subheading wp-block-heading\">\n\t\t\tLecturer Robert Livingston offers a blueprint for radical change\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/header>\n"},"2":{"blockName":"core\/group","attrs":{"templateLock":false,"metadata":{"name":"Article content"},"align":"wide","layout":{"type":"constrained","justifyContent":"center"},"tagName":"div","lock":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","ariaLabel":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"It has bedeviled Americans almost since the country\u2019s founding, but systemic racism is a solvable problem, lecturer in public policy Robert Livingston argues in his recent book, \u201cThe Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth about Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations.\u201d And at a Kennedy School talk this week, he outlined ways that individuals and organizations can move forward \u2014 especially when change is supported from the top.","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>It has bedeviled Americans almost since the country\u2019s founding, but systemic racism is a solvable problem, lecturer in public policy Robert Livingston argues in his recent book, \u201cThe Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth about Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations.\u201d And at a Kennedy School talk this week, he outlined ways that individuals and organizations can move forward \u2014 especially when change is supported from the top.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>It has bedeviled Americans almost since the country\u2019s founding, but systemic racism is a solvable problem, lecturer in public policy Robert Livingston argues in his recent book, \u201cThe Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth about Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations.\u201d And at a Kennedy School talk this week, he outlined ways that individuals and organizations can move forward \u2014 especially when change is supported from the top.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>It has bedeviled Americans almost since the country\u2019s founding, but systemic racism is a solvable problem, lecturer in public policy Robert Livingston argues in his recent book, \u201cThe Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth about Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations.\u201d And at a Kennedy School talk this week, he outlined ways that individuals and organizations can move forward \u2014 especially when change is supported from the top.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"\u201cThe million-dollar question that I\u2019ve been working on is, how do we turn a solvable problem into an achievable solution?\u201d he asked the audience at the moderated talk \u201cWhere Do we Go From Here: Making Progress Toward Racial Equity.\u201d As a social psychologist, Livingston said he has found that subtle persuasion can be more convincing on the individual level than facts and figures.","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>\u201cThe million-dollar question that I\u2019ve been working on is, how do we turn a solvable problem into an achievable solution?\u201d he asked the audience at the moderated talk \u201cWhere Do we Go From Here: Making Progress Toward Racial Equity.\u201d As a social psychologist, Livingston said he has found that subtle persuasion can be more convincing on the individual level than facts and figures.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>\u201cThe million-dollar question that I\u2019ve been working on is, how do we turn a solvable problem into an achievable solution?\u201d he asked the audience at the moderated talk \u201cWhere Do we Go From Here: Making Progress Toward Racial Equity.\u201d As a social psychologist, Livingston said he has found that subtle persuasion can be more convincing on the individual level than facts and figures.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>\u201cThe million-dollar question that I\u2019ve been working on is, how do we turn a solvable problem into an achievable solution?\u201d he asked the audience at the moderated talk \u201cWhere Do we Go From Here: Making Progress Toward Racial Equity.\u201d As a social psychologist, Livingston said he has found that subtle persuasion can be more convincing on the individual level than facts and figures.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"Livingston cited a city police force he once helped train to be aware of implicit bias. The mostly white officers nodded passively at the facts he presented but had little reaction \u2014 \u201cUntil the one Black police officer on this force broke down in tears, because he could relate to all of this. The data was basically his life on the force \u2014 for example, some citizens in the town had actually called the police on him while he was in uniform walking the beat. All of a sudden the White officers are captivated; they now believe that racism is a real thing. I was a little bit annoyed because I thought, \u2018How scientific is that?\u2019\u201d","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Livingston cited a city police force he once helped train to be aware of implicit bias. The mostly white officers nodded passively at the facts he presented but had little reaction \u2014 \u201cUntil the one Black police officer on this force broke down in tears, because he could relate to all of this. The data was basically his life on the force \u2014 for example, some citizens in the town had actually called the police on him while he was in uniform walking the beat. All of a sudden the White officers are captivated; they now believe that racism is a real thing. I was a little bit annoyed because I thought, \u2018How scientific is that?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Livingston cited a city police force he once helped train to be aware of implicit bias. The mostly white officers nodded passively at the facts he presented but had little reaction \u2014 \u201cUntil the one Black police officer on this force broke down in tears, because he could relate to all of this. The data was basically his life on the force \u2014 for example, some citizens in the town had actually called the police on him while he was in uniform walking the beat. All of a sudden the White officers are captivated; they now believe that racism is a real thing. I was a little bit annoyed because I thought, \u2018How scientific is that?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>Livingston cited a city police force he once helped train to be aware of implicit bias. The mostly white officers nodded passively at the facts he presented but had little reaction \u2014 \u201cUntil the one Black police officer on this force broke down in tears, because he could relate to all of this. The data was basically his life on the force \u2014 for example, some citizens in the town had actually called the police on him while he was in uniform walking the beat. All of a sudden the White officers are captivated; they now believe that racism is a real thing. I was a little bit annoyed because I thought, \u2018How scientific is that?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"This experience, however, led to his book\u2019s main thesis: that human connection is the best vehicle for social change.","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>This experience, however, led to his book\u2019s main thesis: that human connection is the best vehicle for social change.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>This experience, however, led to his book\u2019s main thesis: that human connection is the best vehicle for social change.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>This experience, however, led to his book\u2019s main thesis: that human connection is the best vehicle for social change.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"\u201cI have a line that says \u2018There can\u2019t be social change without social exchange.\u2019 I\u2019m actually providing a template for information, conversation, and action,\u201d he said. He said leaders at organizations need to think deeply about their problems and their causes before jumping to solutions \u2014 particularly when the problem is racism, which he noted many white Americans aren\u2019t convinced even exists.","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>\u201cI have a line that says \u2018There can\u2019t be social change without social exchange.\u2019 I\u2019m actually providing a template for information, conversation, and action,\u201d he said. He said leaders at organizations need to think deeply about their problems and their causes before jumping to solutions \u2014 particularly when the problem is racism, which he noted many white Americans aren\u2019t convinced even exists.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>\u201cI have a line that says \u2018There can\u2019t be social change without social exchange.\u2019 I\u2019m actually providing a template for information, conversation, and action,\u201d he said. He said leaders at organizations need to think deeply about their problems and their causes before jumping to solutions \u2014 particularly when the problem is racism, which he noted many white Americans aren\u2019t convinced even exists.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>\u201cI have a line that says \u2018There can\u2019t be social change without social exchange.\u2019 I\u2019m actually providing a template for information, conversation, and action,\u201d he said. He said leaders at organizations need to think deeply about their problems and their causes before jumping to solutions \u2014 particularly when the problem is racism, which he noted many white Americans aren\u2019t convinced even exists.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"Once a problem is identified, the next step is to develop empathy, and then move to concrete strategies. This, Livingston said, involves changing how people look at each other \u2014 \u201cdecategorizing\u201d them by racial stereotypes, and \u201crecategorizing\u201d them as individuals or teammates.","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Once a problem is identified, the next step is to develop empathy, and then move to concrete strategies. This, Livingston said, involves changing how people look at each other \u2014 \u201cdecategorizing\u201d them by racial stereotypes, and \u201crecategorizing\u201d them as individuals or teammates.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Once a problem is identified, the next step is to develop empathy, and then move to concrete strategies. This, Livingston said, involves changing how people look at each other \u2014 \u201cdecategorizing\u201d them by racial stereotypes, and \u201crecategorizing\u201d them as individuals or teammates.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>Once a problem is identified, the next step is to develop empathy, and then move to concrete strategies. This, Livingston said, involves changing how people look at each other \u2014 \u201cdecategorizing\u201d them by racial stereotypes, and \u201crecategorizing\u201d them as individuals or teammates.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"In a case closer to Harvard. Livingston reported how Massport changed the way it evaluated construction proposals for the Omni Seaport Hotel in Boston to include diversity as a selection criteria.","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>In a case closer to Harvard. Livingston reported how Massport changed the way it evaluated construction proposals for the Omni Seaport Hotel in Boston to include diversity as a selection criteria.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>In a case closer to Harvard. Livingston reported how Massport changed the way it evaluated construction proposals for the Omni Seaport Hotel in Boston to include diversity as a selection criteria.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>In a case closer to Harvard. Livingston reported how Massport changed the way it evaluated construction proposals for the Omni Seaport Hotel in Boston to include diversity as a selection criteria.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"\u201cI wrote a case on this at Harvard and when I interviewed one of the developers he said \u2018I\u2019m not racist, I\u2019m just busy,\u2019 meaning that his job in the past was to get from point A to point B. This policy now gave him an incentive to look for more diverse subcontractors and as a matter of fact, he did.\u201d As a result, diversity on the Omni project rose to 35 diversity, with more Black- and Latino-owned businesses on the site.","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>\u201cI wrote a case on this at Harvard and when I interviewed one of the developers he said \u2018I\u2019m not racist, I\u2019m just busy,\u2019 meaning that his job in the past was to get from point A to point B. This policy now gave him an incentive to look for more diverse subcontractors and as a matter of fact, he did.\u201d As a result, diversity on the Omni project rose to 35 diversity, with more Black- and Latino-owned businesses on the site.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>\u201cI wrote a case on this at Harvard and when I interviewed one of the developers he said \u2018I\u2019m not racist, I\u2019m just busy,\u2019 meaning that his job in the past was to get from point A to point B. This policy now gave him an incentive to look for more diverse subcontractors and as a matter of fact, he did.\u201d As a result, diversity on the Omni project rose to 35 diversity, with more Black- and Latino-owned businesses on the site.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>\u201cI wrote a case on this at Harvard and when I interviewed one of the developers he said \u2018I\u2019m not racist, I\u2019m just busy,\u2019 meaning that his job in the past was to get from point A to point B. This policy now gave him an incentive to look for more diverse subcontractors and as a matter of fact, he did.\u201d As a result, diversity on the Omni project rose to 35 diversity, with more Black- and Latino-owned businesses on the site.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"\u201cThe moral of the story is, it never would have happened without the policy,\u201d Livingston said.","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>\u201cThe moral of the story is, it never would have happened without the policy,\u201d Livingston said.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>\u201cThe moral of the story is, it never would have happened without the policy,\u201d Livingston said.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>\u201cThe moral of the story is, it never would have happened without the policy,\u201d Livingston said.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"Kennedy School Academic Dean Iris Bohnet, who moderated the talk, noted an organizational effort at the Kennedy School about a decade ago that responded to Professor Jane Mansbridge\u2019s realization that most of the portraits on the School\u2019s walls were of white men. Since then, new portraits have been commissioned.","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Kennedy School Academic Dean Iris Bohnet, who moderated the talk, noted an organizational effort at the Kennedy School about a decade ago that responded to Professor Jane Mansbridge\u2019s realization that most of the portraits on the School\u2019s walls were of white men. Since then, new portraits have been commissioned.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Kennedy School Academic Dean Iris Bohnet, who moderated the talk, noted an organizational effort at the Kennedy School about a decade ago that responded to Professor Jane Mansbridge\u2019s realization that most of the portraits on the School\u2019s walls were of white men. Since then, new portraits have been commissioned.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>Kennedy School Academic Dean Iris Bohnet, who moderated the talk, noted an organizational effort at the Kennedy School about a decade ago that responded to Professor Jane Mansbridge\u2019s realization that most of the portraits on the School\u2019s walls were of white men. Since then, new portraits have been commissioned.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"Livingston agreed that changes of iconography have a psychological impact on biases. \u201cIt may seem like a small thing, but research has shown it\u2019s not,\u201d he said. \u201cThis gets back to the debate last year about Civil War monuments, and the impact that they had.\u201d","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Livingston agreed that changes of iconography have a psychological impact on biases. \u201cIt may seem like a small thing, but research has shown it\u2019s not,\u201d he said. \u201cThis gets back to the debate last year about Civil War monuments, and the impact that they had.\u201d<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Livingston agreed that changes of iconography have a psychological impact on biases. \u201cIt may seem like a small thing, but research has shown it\u2019s not,\u201d he said. \u201cThis gets back to the debate last year about Civil War monuments, and the impact that they had.\u201d<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>Livingston agreed that changes of iconography have a psychological impact on biases. \u201cIt may seem like a small thing, but research has shown it\u2019s not,\u201d he said. \u201cThis gets back to the debate last year about Civil War monuments, and the impact that they had.\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"Responding to a student question, he emphasized the need for organizational leaders to make the effort. \u201cI don\u2019t think any of the burden should be on the targets of discrimination, it should be on the leaders. It\u2019s hard to make societal change, you can\u2019t boil the ocean. But you can boil a kettle or a pond.\u201d","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Responding to a student question, he emphasized the need for organizational leaders to make the effort. \u201cI don\u2019t think any of the burden should be on the targets of discrimination, it should be on the leaders. It\u2019s hard to make societal change, you can\u2019t boil the ocean. But you can boil a kettle or a pond.\u201d<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Responding to a student question, he emphasized the need for organizational leaders to make the effort. \u201cI don\u2019t think any of the burden should be on the targets of discrimination, it should be on the leaders. It\u2019s hard to make societal change, you can\u2019t boil the ocean. But you can boil a kettle or a pond.\u201d<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>Responding to a student question, he emphasized the need for organizational leaders to make the effort. \u201cI don\u2019t think any of the burden should be on the targets of discrimination, it should be on the leaders. It\u2019s hard to make societal change, you can\u2019t boil the ocean. But you can boil a kettle or a pond.\u201d<\/p>\n"}],"innerHTML":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\">\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n","innerContent":["\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\">","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","<\/div>\n"],"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-center is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p>It has bedeviled Americans almost since the country\u2019s founding, but systemic racism is a solvable problem, lecturer in public policy Robert Livingston argues in his recent book, \u201cThe Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth about Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations.\u201d And at a Kennedy School talk this week, he outlined ways that individuals and organizations can move forward \u2014 especially when change is supported from the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe million-dollar question that I\u2019ve been working on is, how do we turn a solvable problem into an achievable solution?\u201d he asked the audience at the moderated talk \u201cWhere Do we Go From Here: Making Progress Toward Racial Equity.\u201d As a social psychologist, Livingston said he has found that subtle persuasion can be more convincing on the individual level than facts and figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Livingston cited a city police force he once helped train to be aware of implicit bias. The mostly white officers nodded passively at the facts he presented but had little reaction \u2014 \u201cUntil the one Black police officer on this force broke down in tears, because he could relate to all of this. The data was basically his life on the force \u2014 for example, some citizens in the town had actually called the police on him while he was in uniform walking the beat. All of a sudden the White officers are captivated; they now believe that racism is a real thing. I was a little bit annoyed because I thought, \u2018How scientific is that?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This experience, however, led to his book\u2019s main thesis: that human connection is the best vehicle for social change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI have a line that says \u2018There can\u2019t be social change without social exchange.\u2019 I\u2019m actually providing a template for information, conversation, and action,\u201d he said. He said leaders at organizations need to think deeply about their problems and their causes before jumping to solutions \u2014 particularly when the problem is racism, which he noted many white Americans aren\u2019t convinced even exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once a problem is identified, the next step is to develop empathy, and then move to concrete strategies. This, Livingston said, involves changing how people look at each other \u2014 \u201cdecategorizing\u201d them by racial stereotypes, and \u201crecategorizing\u201d them as individuals or teammates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a case closer to Harvard. Livingston reported how Massport changed the way it evaluated construction proposals for the Omni Seaport Hotel in Boston to include diversity as a selection criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI wrote a case on this at Harvard and when I interviewed one of the developers he said \u2018I\u2019m not racist, I\u2019m just busy,\u2019 meaning that his job in the past was to get from point A to point B. This policy now gave him an incentive to look for more diverse subcontractors and as a matter of fact, he did.\u201d As a result, diversity on the Omni project rose to 35 diversity, with more Black- and Latino-owned businesses on the site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe moral of the story is, it never would have happened without the policy,\u201d Livingston said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kennedy School Academic Dean Iris Bohnet, who moderated the talk, noted an organizational effort at the Kennedy School about a decade ago that responded to Professor Jane Mansbridge\u2019s realization that most of the portraits on the School\u2019s walls were of white men. Since then, new portraits have been commissioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Livingston agreed that changes of iconography have a psychological impact on biases. \u201cIt may seem like a small thing, but research has shown it\u2019s not,\u201d he said. \u201cThis gets back to the debate last year about Civil War monuments, and the impact that they had.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Responding to a student question, he emphasized the need for organizational leaders to make the effort. \u201cI don\u2019t think any of the burden should be on the targets of discrimination, it should be on the leaders. It\u2019s hard to make societal change, you can\u2019t boil the ocean. But you can boil a kettle or a pond.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n"}},"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":321463,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2021\/02\/social-psychologist-offers-key-to-ending-racism\/","url_meta":{"origin":320777,"position":0},"title":"A key to ending racism: Make it personal","author":"harvardgazette","date":"February 22, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"In his new book, \u201cThe Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations,\u201d Robert Livingston of the Harvard Kennedy School argues that racism can be battled with constructive dialogue.","rel":"","context":"In "Nation & World"","block_context":{"text":"Nation & World","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/nation-world\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Robert Livingston.","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Robert-Livingston.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Robert-Livingston.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Robert-Livingston.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Robert-Livingston.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":312030,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2020\/10\/khalil-gibran-muhammad-on-why-diversity-and-inclusion-efforts-fail\/","url_meta":{"origin":320777,"position":1},"title":"How to be an antiracist nonprofit or company","author":"Lian Parsons","date":"October 1, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A Harvard Kennedy School research initiative that studies racial bias in the private sector will consider why diversity and inclusion efforts fail.","rel":"","context":"In "Work & Economy"","block_context":{"text":"Work & Economy","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/business-economy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Khalil Gibran Muhammad.","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Faculty_Muhammad_Khalil_MS041_2500.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Faculty_Muhammad_Khalil_MS041_2500.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Faculty_Muhammad_Khalil_MS041_2500.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Faculty_Muhammad_Khalil_MS041_2500.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":383497,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2024\/04\/duvernay-on-exploring-racism-antisemitism-caste-in-origin\/","url_meta":{"origin":320777,"position":2},"title":"DuVernay on exploring racism, antisemitism, caste in \u2018Origin\u2019","author":"harvardgazette","date":"April 25, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Despite horrors, film \u2018a collection of love stories\u2019","rel":"","context":"In "Arts & Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts & Culture","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/arts-humanities\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ava DuVernay.","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/4.24.24-Ava-Duvernay168.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/4.24.24-Ava-Duvernay168.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/4.24.24-Ava-Duvernay168.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/4.24.24-Ava-Duvernay168.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":333457,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2021\/10\/the-hurdles-we-face-16-months-after-george-floyd\/","url_meta":{"origin":320777,"position":3},"title":"Where are we now, 16 months after George Floyd?","author":"harvardgazette","date":"October 18, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"As part of the Truth and Transformation conference at Harvard Kennedy School, Ibram X. Kendi and Heather McGhee spoke about the challenges the movement faces.","rel":"","context":"In "Nation & World"","block_context":{"text":"Nation & World","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/nation-world\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Khalil G. Muhammad , Ibram X. Kendi, and Heather McGee.","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/101421_reckoning_022A.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/101421_reckoning_022A.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/101421_reckoning_022A.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/101421_reckoning_022A.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":307827,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2020\/06\/how-bostons-mayor-plans-to-redeploy-12-million\/","url_meta":{"origin":320777,"position":4},"title":"Walsh details thinking behind redeployment of police funds","author":"Lian Parsons","date":"June 25, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Boston mayor discusses $12 million antiracism public health initiative at Harvard Chan School series.","rel":"","context":"In "Campus & Community"","block_context":{"text":"Campus & Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/112917_SEC_topping_off_0653_2500.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/112917_SEC_topping_off_0653_2500.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/112917_SEC_topping_off_0653_2500.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/112917_SEC_topping_off_0653_2500.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":306636,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2020\/06\/facing-the-denial-of-american-racism\/","url_meta":{"origin":320777,"position":5},"title":"Facing the denial of American racism","author":"Lian Parsons","date":"June 5, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Radcliffe Institute panel explores the social roots of the denial of racism in America, and ways to raise awareness.","rel":"","context":"In "Campus & Community"","block_context":{"text":"Campus & Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A sign reads, Justice for George Floyd.","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/060420_black_lives_006_2500.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/060420_black_lives_006_2500.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/060420_black_lives_006_2500.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/060420_black_lives_006_2500.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320777","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/105622744"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=320777"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320777\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":369495,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320777\/revisions\/369495"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/320998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=320777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=320777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=320777"},{"taxonomy":"format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/gazette-formats?post=320777"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=320777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}