This is an accepted version of this page Chirlane Irene McCray (born November 29, 1954)[1] is an American writer, editor, and activist.

"[2] She chaired the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City and was appointed by her husband to lead a billion-dollar initiative called ThriveNYC.

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.

[8] McCray cites her early experience with racism and bullying as part of the reason she began to write, using her poetry as an outlet for her anger.

[8] 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.

[21] In November 2015, McCray led the launch of ThriveNYC, a plan to overhaul the city's mental health and substance abuse services.

[22][23] ThriveNYC promotes a shift from a traditionally more reactive model, which can strain police, prisons, hospitals, and schools,[24] to an integrated public health approach focusing on awareness and early identification.

The spending plan includes $96 million for B-HEARD, an initiative that dispatches EMTs and social workers as first responders to 911 calls involving mentally ill people in an effort to prevent confrontations with the police.

[30][31] In March 2018, McCray stated that she was "seriously considering" running for office in 2021 (the year that de Blasio's second and final term as New York City mayor ended).

In that essay, McCray "frankly discussed her sexuality and expressed gratitude that she came to terms with her preference for women before marrying a man".

[37] The family lived in Park Slope, Brooklyn,[6][12] until their 2014 move into Gracie Mansion,[38] the official residence of the Mayor of New York City.