Stephan Thernstrom, a renowned Harvard history professor and vocal critic of affirmative action, passed away at the age of 90 in Arlington, Va. His daughter, Melanie Thernstrom, confirmed that his death was due to complications of dementia.
Thernstrom, along with his wife Abigail Thernstrom, gained national recognition in the 1990s for their staunch opposition to affirmative action. They believed that the policy of using quotas and preferences to address racial disparities was a misguided approach that did not address the root causes of inequality. Thernstrom questioned the need for double standards in admissions, grades, and professional accreditation tests, arguing that racial preferences were merely masking deeper issues.
In 1988, Thernstrom found himself embroiled in a controversy at Harvard University when students accused him of making racially insensitive comments in class. This incident catapulted him into the spotlight as a champion of free speech and academic freedom, particularly among conservative circles. Thernstrom and his wife began writing for publications on both the conservative and liberal spectrum, criticizing what they saw as the detrimental effects of political correctness.
Their book “America in Black and White: One Nation, Indivisible” became a cornerstone of the conservative critique of race relations and higher education in the late 1990s. They followed this up with “No Excuses: Closing the Racial Gap in Learning,” where they advocated for education reforms such as vouchers and raising teaching standards to improve outcomes for minority students.
Thernstrom’s research on social mobility challenged the conventional narrative of the American dream as a simple rags-to-riches story. He showed that upward mobility was a complex and incremental process, with some ethnic groups progressing faster than others. His groundbreaking work earned him accolades, including the Bancroft Prize for his book “Poverty and Progress: Social Mobility in a Nineteenth Century City.”
Throughout his career, Thernstrom remained dedicated to rigorous scholarship and intellectual inquiry. He taught at prestigious institutions such as Harvard, Brandeis, and UCLA, and was affiliated with conservative think tanks like the Manhattan Institute. Despite starting out as a liberal, he embraced neoconservatism in the 1980s, criticizing liberals for straying from the principle of colorblind equality that he believed underpinned the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
Thernstrom’s legacy as a historian and social critic endures, shaping discussions on race, education, and social policy. His commitment to academic excellence and intellectual honesty will be remembered by colleagues, students, and readers alike.
