Sweden is usually not the first country that comes to mind when one thinks of racism or racial discrimination. Yet, as in the United States and many European countries, it has been part of its history and it is still an issue today. We sat down with Paul Lappalainen, American lawyer and member of the European Network of experts in gender equality and non-discrimination to discuss the Swedish legal framework and how it could be used by anti-discrimination organisations and civil society to become an effective drive for change.