Alyssa Richardson - Pathways to Black Empowerment, Prosperity, and Joy with Dr. Robert Livingston (Attending author talks/book readings)

Dr. Robert Livingston joined Dr. Jackson for a conversation about his new book, Play the Game, Change the Game, Leave the Game. He explained why he pivoted from The Conversation to a focus on Black empowerment. He framed white supremacy in the United States as an addiction defined by need, harm, and repetition, which explains why informational, moral, and self-interest appeals often fail to change behavior. He was clear that this framing explains persistence but does not excuse harm. He also stressed that diagnosing the addiction is not the book’s focus or our burden to cure. Rehabilitation belongs to willing white counterparts, not to Black people; our charge is to identify the sickness and move accordingly.

From that diagnosis, he outlined three pathways for Black communities. We can play the game as tempered radicals who climb and lift others. We can change the game at individual, collective, and institutional levels, including confronting bias, building movements, and redesigning systems. We can leave the game through entrepreneurship, building enclaves, or strategic exodus to lessen dependence on traditional gatekeepers. He highlighted programs like OneTen that open high-wage jobs without four-year degree barriers and emphasized that empathetic white allies are most effective when they work with other white people.

I was happy to speak with Dr. Livingston at the end of the seminar to learn more about the book. Like him, I grew up in a predominantly Black city (Washington, DC) and now attend an HBCU. This has served as an enclave and a source of armor. I also met him earlier that morning and escorted him to the Chemistry Department office. He was kind, and I told him I was excited for the seminar later that day. I walked away encouraged, identifying myself as a lifter and feeling equipped with tactics to thrive in the game. I believe this book will be a valuable tool as I transition to a PWI for medical school, helping me play, change, and when needed, leave the game while staying grounded in purpose, community, and joy.

Critical evaluation: One strength of the seminar was when Dr. Livingston named white supremacy as an addiction defined by need, harm, and repetition, then moved quickly from diagnosis to strategy. That framing explains persistence without excusing harm. He was explicit that addiction/rehabilitation is not the focus of this book and not the responsibility of Black people; our work is to identify the condition and move accordingly. A small weakness was limited time for questions and student application in the Q&A; a brief handout mapping “play/change/leave” to campus actions would have boosted translation.

Synthesis: His “play the game, change the game, leave the game” lens clicked with my path. I grew up in a predominantly Black city and now attend an HBCU, an enclave that has built armor and confidence. That context, paired with his lifter/climber/enabler distinctions, helped me name my leadership stance: I’m a lifter. The talk also drew a clean boundary: empathetic rehabilitation belongs to enlightened white counterparts; my charge is strategy and self-determination.

Impact & application: I met Dr. Livingston that morning and escorted him to the Chemistry Department office, and I spoke with him again after the seminar about the book. I left encouraged and equipped. My next steps:

• Play: Build a PWI transition plan for medical school using tempered-radical tactics (secure mentors early, document bias professionally, protect bandwidth).
• Change: Host a student reading circle on Play the Game, Change the Game, Leave the Game and extract three actionable campus moves this term.
• Leave: Grow entrepreneurial/research lanes that reduce dependency on traditional gatekeepers.

This event sharpened my definition of success around purpose, community, and joy, and it gave me a practical rubric for when to play, when to push, and when to walk.

- Alyssa Richardson C' 2026