Jeff Chang is a journalist, music critic, and the author of We Gon' Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation (Picador, 2016), Who We Be: The Colorization of America (St. Martin's Press, 2014), and the American Book Award–winning Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation (Picador, 2005). Executive director of Stanford's Institute for Diversity in the Arts, Chang cofounded CultureStr/ke and ColorLines, as well as the indie record label SoleSides (now Quannum Projects), which helped launch the careers of artists including Blackalicious, DJ Shadow, and Lyrics Born. Chang visited the Walker in 2007 and 2008 for a panel discussion on Total Chaos: The Art and Aesthetics of Hip-Hop and for a discussion with Walker Teen Programs on the state of hip-hop and politics in America today. His recent writings for the Walker include "The Ruins of the Culture Wars," a chapter from his book Who We Be and, participating in the annual year-end lists feature, "2014: The Year According to Jeff Chang."
