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Chirlane McCray

New York City's First Lady, Writer & Poet

New York City's First Lady, Writer & Poet

Travels From Travels From:
New York, NY, USA
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Chirlane McCray Biography

Chirlane McCray is a writer, poet, editor, communications professional and political figure. She has published poetry and worked in politics as a speechwriter. Married to current New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, she is the First Lady of New York City.

McCray was born in and spent her early years in Springfield, Massachusetts. Her mother was an assembly worker at an electronics factory, and her father was an inventory clerk at a military base. She is of Bajan and St. Lucian descent, but traces her grandmother's last name to Ghana."

When McCray was ten years old, her family moved to Longmeadow, Massachusetts, becoming only the second black family in the area. Other families in the neighborhood circulated petitions demanding they leave.

In high school, McCray was for a time the only black student in her entire school. McCray cites this early experience with racism and bullying as part of the reason she began to write, using her poetry as an outlet for her anger. She also wrote a column for her school newspaper, in which she denounced classmates for their racism.

McCray enrolled at Wellesley College in 1972. While studying at Wellesley, McCray became a member of the Combahee River Collective, a black feminist lesbian organization, which inspired her to write prose and poetry.

After graduation, she moved to New York City to work for Redbook. She published an essay in Essence Magazine in 1979, entitled "I Am a Lesbian," an essay described as "groundbreaking" for how a black woman discussed her sexuality in a black magazine. The purpose of the essay was to "dispel the myth that there are no gay black people." Some of her poetry is included in "Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology."

In 1991, McCray entered politics. She worked as a speechwriter for the mayor, David Dinkins. During the Clinton administration, she worked for the New York Foreign Press Center as a public affairs specialist. She also worked as a speech writer for the state comptroller, Carl McCall, and the city comptroller, Bill Thompson.

In 2004, she left Thompson's office to work in the private sector. She worked for five years at Maimonides Medical Center. She also worked for Citigroup in their public relations department for six months, before deciding it was "not a good fit." During her husband's campaign for mayor of New York City in the 2013 election, she edited his speeches and helped interview candidates for staff positions.

In November 2015, McCray led the launch of ThriveNYC, a plan to overhaul the city's mental health and substance abuse services, promoting a shift from a traditionally more reactive model, which can strain police, prisons, hospitals, and schools,[21] to an integrated public health approach, focused on awareness and early identification.

McCray has expressed a desire to run for office in 2021.

McCray and de Blasio have a daughter and a son and live in Park Slope, Brooklyn. They plan to move into Gracie Mansion.

Chirlane McCray Videos

  • Mayor de Blasio Appoints First Lady Chirlane McCray As Chair Of ...
  • Radical Life of The First Lady of New York - YouTube
  • First Lady Chirlane McCray Talks about NYC Well & her Election ...

Chirlane McCray Books

  • Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology
    Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology

FAQs on booking Chirlane McCray

  • How do I book Chirlane McCray to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Chirlane McCray for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Chirlane McCray, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Chirlane McCray or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Chirlane McCray

    Speaking fees for Chirlane McCray, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Chirlane McCray are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Chirlane McCray, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Chirlane McCray speak about?

    Chirlane McCray is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Black History, Political Speakers, Political Speakers.
  • Where does Chirlane McCray travel from?

    Chirlane McCray generally travels from New York, NY, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Chirlane McCray’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Chirlane McCray for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Chirlane McCray for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Chirlane McCray or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
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    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Chirlane McCray is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Chirlane McCray for your event is available upon request. Chirlane McCray generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Reverend Al Sharpton, Wendy Osefo, PhD, Roland Martin, John Dau and Van Jones. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Chirlane McCray for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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