PPI - Radically Pragmatic
  • Donate
Skip to content
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Locations
    • Careers
  • People
  • Projects
  • Our Work
  • Events
  • Donate

Our Work

Kahlenberg on Reasonably Happy with Paul Ollinger: Has Affirmative Action FAILED?

  • June 5, 2025
  • Richard D. Kahlenberg

 

Has affirmative action failed in America?? In this eye-opening conversation, Richard Kahlenberg—author of Class Matters and a longtime education and housing policy scholar—explains why race-based affirmative action has failed America’s working class and what can be done to fix it. A self-described “liberal maverick,” Kahlenberg dives into his controversial role in the Supreme Court case against Harvard, arguing that socioeconomic-based admissions would promote both racial equity and fairness without alienating the working-class voters Democrats are rapidly losing. From Harvard’s legacy advantages and billionaire endowments to MLK’s and RFK’s forgotten views on class over race, this episode challenges elite institutions, political orthodoxy, and the future of education in America.

Check out all of Richard’s books and appearances: https://www.richardkahlenberg.org/

Watch the full video.

Related Work

In the News  |  June 22, 2026

Canter on New Books in Education: Inside the Mississippi Marathon How Mississippi Dramatically Improved Its Education System

  • Rachel Canter
Op-Ed  |  June 21, 2026

Manno for Community College Daily: Rebuilding the rules of higher ed’s opportunity ladder

  • Bruno Manno
Op-Ed  |  June 17, 2026

Manno for The 74: Faster, Cheaper, Job-Related: Students Demand Flexible Credentials After HS

  • Bruno Manno
Op-Ed  |  June 11, 2026

Manno for Real Clear Education: The Nation’s Report Card Delivers A Split Verdict That Demands A Civic Response

  • Bruno Manno
Op-Ed  |  June 3, 2026

Manno for Datia K12: The Expectations Trap: Teachers Need Clarity

  • Bruno Manno
Op-Ed  |  June 1, 2026

Manno for CC Daily: For community colleges, the opportunity map is local

  • Bruno Manno
  • Never miss an update:

  • Subscribe to our newsletter
PPI Logo
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Donate
  • Careers
  • © 2026 Progressive Policy Institute. All Rights Reserved.
  • |
  • Privacy Policy
  • |
  • Privacy Settings