Play the Game. Change the Game. Leave the Game.

“My grandmother used to tell us that racism ‘is white people’s problem,’ not ours. I think she was trying to teach us that we had to live our lives fully on our terms, without internalizing the limits other people would place on us. Play the Game. Change the Game. Leave the Game. is a wise, generous book that recognizes that you have more power than you may think to set your own rules and create your own change.” —Deval Patrick, governor of Massachusetts (2007–2015) “Written with a keen understanding of the complexities of race and identity, this book is an uplifting message that marginalized groups are both mighty and resourceful. A timely reminder for those who feel lost during these difficult times.”—Kimberlé Crenshaw, distinguished professor of law at UCLA and Columbia Law School “A compelling exploration of resilience and change. There’s so much in this world over which we have no control, but Robert Livingston reminds us of just how much control we do have. I think this will be the biggest book about race and careers in a generation.”—Dr. David A. Thomas, president of Morehouse College (2018–2025) “In this groundbreaking work, Robert Livingston blends pragmatic advice with rigorous research to teach us how to navigate, confront, or exit our stubborn institutions. In trying and testing times, this book is a restorative that shows us—once again—that its author is a national treasure.”—Kenji Yoshino, author of Covering and Say the Right Thing; faculty director of the NYU Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging“With uncommon clarity and conviction, Robert Livingston offers a compelling road map for so many Black Americans who are working to make sense of the state of our nation and world. His is an insightful and illuminating work—filled with advice and role models whose journeys will inspire you on your own.”—Anthony Foxx, U.S. secretary of transportation (2013–2017)“Play the Game is an indispensable handbook for navigating the ever-present realities of whiteness. While this clear-eyed and compassionate guide speaks directly to how Black Americans can move beyond surviving into fully thriving, it also offers deep insight to all readers on how the system works and how it can be challenged. Robert Livingston has given us the gift of critical hope—hope that is measured and realistic—at a time when hope is dearly needed. This is a book that will be read again and again—keep it close by!”—Robin DiAngelo, author of White Fragility

Robert Livingston is a race scholar who serves on the faculty of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He is the author of The Conversation, selected as a Financial Times Best Book of 2021 and nominated for a 2022 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Achievement. His research has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time, Newsweek, and Harvard Business Review. For over two decades, he has been a diversity consultant to more than a hundred Fortune 500 companies, public-sector agencies, and non-profit organizations.