Richard Kahlenberg

Last updated

Richard Kahlenberg
Born
Richard D. Kahlenberg

(1963-06-08) June 8, 1963 (age 62)
United States
Education Harvard University (BA, JD)
Occupation(s)Writer, academic

Richard D. Kahlenberg (born June 8, 1963) is an American lawyer and writer who has written about a variety of education, labor and housing issues. [1] [2]

Contents

Kahlenberg is Director of the American Identity Project and Director of Housing at the Progressive Policy Institute, and a professorial lecturer at George Washington University's Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration.

Early life and education

Kahlenberg graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1985 and then graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School with his Juris Doctor degree in 1989. Between college and law school, he spent a year in Kenya at the University of Nairobi School of Journalism, as a Rotary Scholar. [3]

Career

The author or editor of 18 books, Richard D. Kahlenberg has been described as “the intellectual father of the economic integration movement” [4] in K–12 education and “arguably the nation’s chief proponent of class-based affirmative action in higher education admissions.” [5] He is also recognized as an authority on housing segregation, teachers’ unions, charter schools, community colleges, and labor organizing.

The New York Times referred to Kahlenberg as “the most prominent self-described progressive with doubts about the current version of affirmative action.” [6] In a profile published by The New Republic, he was described as an “affirmative action prophet” for his long-standing support of class-based affirmative action, an idea that was once considered “a heresy” among liberals, but is now seen as a potential path forward for promoting racial diversity. [7] His 1996 book The Remedy: Class, Race and Affirmative Action was named one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post . [8] In a review for The New York Times, sociologist William Julius Wilson called it “by far the most comprehensive and thoughtful account thus far for...affirmative action based on class.” [9]

Kahlenberg won the William A. Kaplin Award for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy Scholarship for his research on ways selective colleges can open the doors to more economically disadvantaged students. William G. Bowen and Michael S. McPherson wrote that he “deserves more credit than anyone else for arguing vigorously and relentlessly for stronger efforts to address disparities by socioeconomic status.” [10] He served as an expert witness to the plaintiffs in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina.

Kahlenberg has been a nonresident scholar at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy, a Senior Fellow at The Century Foundation, a Fellow at the Center for National Policy, a visiting associate professor of constitutional law at George Washington University, and a legislative assistant to Senator Charles S. Robb (D-VA). He is serves on the advisory board of the Pell Institute and the Albert Shanker Institute.

Kahlenberg's articles have been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist and The New Republic and he has appeared on ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, C-SPAN, MSNBC, and NPR. [11] [ non-primary source needed ]

Works

Edited Volumes

See also

References

  1. Lartey, Jamiles (March 14, 2019). "The perfectly legal – but immoral – ways rich kids get into top colleges". The Guardian .
  2. Korn, Melissa (November 8, 2020). "Latest Trial Over College Affirmative Action to Begin in North Carolina". The Wall Street Journal .
  3. "Richard D. Kahlenberg, Author at Education Next". Education Next. November 29, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  4. Eaton, Susan E. (January 19, 2007). The Children in Room E4: American Education on Trial. Algonquin Books. ISBN   978-1565124882.
  5. "Class-Based Affirmative Action". June 18, 2003.
  6. "The Leading Liberal Against Affirmative Action". March 9, 2013.
  7. Judis, John B. (July 18, 2013). "The Unlikely Triumph of an Affirmative Action Prophet". The New Republic.
  8. "WashingtonPost.com: Informed Opinions: Experts Pick Their Favorites". www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  9. Wilson, William Julius (July 14, 1996). "Class Consciousness". The New York Times.
  10. Bowen, William G.; McPherson, Michael S. (March 29, 2016). Lesson Plan. Princeton University Press. ISBN   9780691172101.
  11. 1 2 3 "Richard D. Kahlenberg The Century Foundation". The Century Foundation . Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  12. Fairclough, Adam. (December 27, 2007). "One Tough Bargainer". The Washington Post.