A look back from a future in which racism is no more—inspiring us to start taking positive action today

“It’s the year 2050… and racism has ended.”

Could this really be our future? If so, what has to happen now to achieve such a radical change? In How We Ended Racism, Justin Michael Williams and Shelly Tygielski reveal a path for real and lasting global impact—not just talking about it, studying it, or making small steps, but actually ending racism in one generation.

Williams and Tygielski draw from a wide array of scientific studies, as well as their practical successes in teaching a multitude of diverse groups across perceived “divides,” to show us how to shift our perspective and enact lasting change in our families, workplaces, communities, and beyond. Here they provide solid answers to the questions future generations will ask about this pivotal time in history, by laying out the eight conditions that needed to arise in humanity to realize this possibility, covering:

• How was it possible? The research on large-scale social change that showed racism could end

• What were the first steps? Overcoming doubt, owning our emotions, and committing to truth

• What were the biggest challenges? Shadow work, big conversations, and forgiveness

• Which tools actually worked? The field-tested methods that allowed us to heal and connect

• Who ended racism? How we—each of us—helped our culture evolve to make racism a thing of the past

“You don’t fix racism,” say the authors. “You don’t fight it. You don’t make it better. You end it. We learned how to bridge any political or ideological divide—inviting liberals, conservatives, and everyone in between to cocreate a future worth fighting for.” Here is a guide that dares to envision a world beyond typical diversity, equity, and inclusion work while providing tools and action steps to create a liberated future—so that our descendants can look back at this era as the time when we decided to end racism for the good of all.