Award-winning author Jeff Chang visits campus

Award-winning writer and cultural organizer Jeff Chang returned to Cornell on April 16 to deliver a keynote presentation and workshop for nearly 60 professionals from higher education institutions nationwide during the 2024 IVY Plus EEO/AA Annual Meeting.

Chang's return to Cornell marked a departure from his previous visit in 2008 when he spoke at the dedication of the Cornell Hip Hop Collection. Chang has written extensively on hip-hop, in addition to culture, politics, the arts and music. His first book, "Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation," garnered many honors, including the American Book Award and the Asian American Literary Award. However, this time, Chang's presence on campus carried a different significance.

For the first time in nearly two decades, Cornell hosted the IVY Plus EEO/AA Annual Meeting, inviting individuals in roles that work directly with equal opportunity, affirmative action or diversity, equity and inclusion from the eight Ivy League institutions, in addition to Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University and The University of Chicago. Over the three-day conference, attendees were given the opportunity to network, collaborate and share information with others doing similar work.

"In light of the ongoing attacks on DEI efforts across the country and the impact on admissions in higher education, we wanted to invite someone who could speak to these critical issues and, at the same time, bring us together in community. Jeff Chang's body of work and his ties to Cornell made him an obvious choice," said Katie King, associate vice president for the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX at Cornell.

Chang's keynote presentation focused on recentering against resegregation, discussed in his collection of essays, "We Gon' Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation," which explores the rise and fall of the idea of "diversity." Calling attention to the country's makeup, he explained how the United States has become one of the most diverse nations in history. However, according to Chang, the average white student attends a school that's over 75% white, college enrollment rates of Black students have declined in the past five years and numbers of the most highly segregated communities have tripled over the last decade - all evidence of resegregation.

"Nothing has changed about the need to diversify our campuses to create cultures of belonging and equity for our students regardless of the politics of the situation, demographics and culture changes," Chang said. "We still need to work towards the world we all know and want to build together. We must learn how to live together, talk about deep values and narratives and create cultures of belonging that reaffirm that the diversity of backgrounds and worldviews leads to success."

Attendees were encouraged to engage in small groups to discuss their personal and professional backgrounds and share anecdotes of how they arrived at their current careers. Chang emphasized how personal narratives often shape and define culture and drive programs and policies - not only in higher education but also in federal law.

"[DEI] programs were advocated by students over a half-century ago, have taken a long time to build and are now under attack because they have worked in making campuses and communities more open to more people," Chang said. "Our nation and world will only become more culturally diverse. But we're currently living through a period of polarization, disinformation and fear. More than ever, we need to be able to forge spaces of belonging for everyone."

For the remainder of the conference, participants had the chance to experience some of the resources and opportunities exclusive to the university, such as the Cornell Interactive Theatre Ensemble (CITE), the Restorative Record project developed by the ILR School's Criminal Justice Employment Initiative (CJEI), the Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability and the Cornell Hip Hop Collection.

"I hope attendees are re-energized in their work and are left feeling appreciated for and appreciative of the work we all do," King said. "It is always important to connect with our colleagues in higher education, but never more so than during times of stress and uncertainty. It is critical to be able to share our concerns and our successes and know we are not alone. A friendly, knowledgeable colleague is never more than a call or email away."

Chang is currently working on a cultural biography of Bruce Lee entitled "Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America" and is the host of the "Edge of Reason," a podcast of artists and ideas by Atlantic: Rethink and Hauser & Wirth. For more information, visit jeffchang.net

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