Chirlane McCray
| Chirlane McCray | |
|---|---|
McCray at a rally to protest the closure of
Long Island College Hospital |
|
| First Lady of New York City | |
|
Assumed office January 1, 2014 |
|
| Preceded by |
Donna Hanover Diana Taylor (de facto) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Chirlane Irene McCray November 29, 1954 Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse(s) | Bill de Blasio (m. 1994) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Gracie Mansion |
| Alma mater | Wellesley College |
| Occupation | Writer, public affairs |
Chirlane Irene McCray (born November 29, 1954) is an American writer, 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. They have two children, Chiara and Dante. They moved from their home in Park Slope, Brooklyn, into Gracie Mansion, the traditional residence of New York City mayors.
McCray was born in and spent her early years in Springfield, Massachusetts. Her mother, Katharine Clarissa Eileen (née Edwards), was an assembly worker at an electronics factory, and her father, Robert Hooper McCray, 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 she 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 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 there, she became a member of the Combahee River Collective, a black feminist lesbian organization, which inspired her to write prose and poetry.
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