Dr. Livingstone Book Lecture Seminar (2pts)

On Tuesday, September 30th, I attended a seminar presented by Dr. Robert Livingston. Dr. Livingston is a social psychologist who focuses on race, equity, and organizational behavior. His talk, based on his books The Conversation and Change the Game explored how racism persists in America and how individuals and institutions can respond more effectively. Dr. Livingston described his shift from teaching organizations how to “do better” after George Floyd’s murder to instead centering empowerment within marginalized communities. He explained that many leaders who claimed to value diversity did not take meaningful action, as shown by studies where job applicants with ethnic names were overlooked despite companies’ diversity statements. This reinforced his realization that progress cannot rely solely on white-led initiatives, but must prioritize resilience and empowerment within communities of color. One of the most interesting parts of his talk was his framing of racism as an “addiction.” He compared the persistence of white supremacy to addictive behavior, maintained through denial, dependency, and repetition. Just as addiction harms both the person and those around them, racism damages society as a whole. He explained that traditional approaches like informational (teaching history), moral (appealing to conscience), and self-interest (showing benefits of diversity) often fail because racism is deeply ingrained and compulsive. Overall, Dr. Livingston’s seminar challenged me to think critically about the systems that sustain racism and how communities can work toward empowerment without relying on those unwilling to change. His perspective combined psychology, history, and social science, showing that complex social issues intersect across many disciplines, including chemistry, in the sense that systemic inequities affect access to science, healthcare, and education.

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