Spring Lecture: Richard Kahlenberg, Class Matters: A Book Talk about Race, Class, Colleges, and American Politics

Richard Kahlenberg, Class Matters: A Book Talk about Race, Class, Colleges, and American Politics
March 20
1:30 PM
In-Person at OLLI

As DEI faces backlash and Democrats lose working-class voters, a new approach is needed. In Class Matters, Richard Kahlenberg argues that higher education should prioritize economic disadvantage rather than race to achieve real racial and economic diversity. He contends that race-based admissions have often shielded systems that favor wealthy students while excluding talented working-class applicants. A leading advocate of class-based affirmative action, Kahlenberg played a key role in debates leading up to the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision ending racial preferences. A Harvard-educated scholar and Progressive Policy Institute director, he has been described by The New York Times as a "liberal maverick."

Reservations are required to attend in-person lectures. In-person lectures will be held in the Spring Valley Building, 4801 Massachusetts Ave. NW, in Room A on the First Floor. Registration for the above lecture will open here at 10:00 AM on the Friday prior to the lecture. The direct registration link will also be included in the Friday newsletter the week prior. You must have an OLLI account to register. If you do not have one, you can create an account when going to register. Each registrant may reserve up to two seats. Your name must be on the list of registrants to enter the lecture and you must be in your seat five minutes before the lecture starts to guarantee your seat.