What is UpCurrent?

In the wake of the social unrest of 2020 and growing calls for racial justice, many business leaders and ordinary citizens were asking a simple question: How can I be part of the solution? This prompted me to write my book, The Conversation, based on one core belief: speaking the truth about racism can radically transform individuals and organizations.

This newsletter seeks to explain and extend my science-based, non-partisan thoughts in a quarterly cadence straight to your inbox. Ultimately, I intend to foster a place where the capital-C Conversation can occur all the time. Let’s wade in.

What’s in the name?

To understand what systemic racism is, let’s think about individuals as fish and society as the stream they inhabit and navigate day in and day out. There are currents in the stream that push everything in a certain direction. We can think of racism as one of those currents.

Sometimes the current is like white water, very strong and obvious (like mass violence against a group). At other times the current is strong but obscured—an undercurrent you can’t see but nevertheless pulls you under (like implicit bias). Sometimes the current gets weaker or stronger, depending on the season or the location of the stream. But it’s always there, and it moves everything downstream toward the sea.

Racism is not just about the movements and actions of individual fish; it’s also about the current.

If you do nothing but float in the stream, then the current will eventually carry you out to sea. If you actively swim with the current, you’ll wash out to sea, only much faster. Antiracism requires swimming against the current, like a salmon going upstream. The journey can be exhausting, frustrating, and even dangerous. But the potential benefits for all are too great to stop swimming. Ultimately, the salmon enrich not only the stream but the entire ecosystem surrounding the stream. This is what it means to travel UpCurrent.

Who am I?

My name is Robert Livingston, and I seek to speak the truth about racism in order to help drive radical transformations toward a more equitable society.

I’m an author, Harvard academic, and leading expert on the science underlying bias and racism in organizations. In addition to my research background, I am also a practitioner whose passion is applying theory and research to solving real-world organizational and societal challenges.

For two decades, I have served as a diversity consultant to scores of Fortune 500 companies, public-sector agencies, and non-profit organizations. I have had thoughtful conversations on many podcasts, such as Armchair Expert, Beyond Busy, and The Business of Giving. And my research and writing have been published in top media and popular press outlets, such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Newsweek, Time, CNN, MSNBC, and Harvard Business Review. 

My article “How to Promote Racial Equity in the Workplace” was the winner of the 2020 Warren Bennis Prize, awarded to the best leadership article published in HBR each year. In addition, this article was selected as part of HBR at 100, a 2022 book showcasing the most innovative and influential articles published in HBR over the last century.

In 2021, I published The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations, a book that outlines my innovative approach to combating racism in organizations and society. This book was a finalist for the Financial Times & McKinsey Best Book of 2021 Award and a nominee for a 2022 NAACP Image Award in the “Outstanding Literary Work—Instructional” category.

In my spare time, I enjoy jazz, cinema, gastronomy, fly fishing, and tasting fine wine and whiskeys. I have lived in six countries and speak four languages.

Why subscribe?

Subscribe to get fresh, direct thoughts on race and inequity straight to your inbox once a quarter—for free.

Wade into the discussion

A rising tide lifts all boats. Hop in the comments and add your voice to the discussion. Join a community of people bravely swimming against the stream.