MISSION
20 Recaps [in MDR] documents, personalizes, and quantifies racial and discrimination incidents that occur to ordinary Black people on a daily basis. Highlighting twenty formative events in an individual’s life in their own words, 20 Recaps takes an unflinching look at deeply ingrained racial attitudes and behavior in American society and worldwide. 20 Recaps encourages listeners and viewers to reflect on individual stories as well on their own biases in order to build empathy and recognize societal practices that perpetuate racism so we can address change constructively.
WHY 20?
Most people of color will have experienced numerous microaggression, stereotyping, racism, and discrimination incidents throughout their lives. Still, when someone hears about an individual incident of this nature, the impulse is to isolate it or blame it on the ignorance of the perpetrator. 20 Recaps underscores how entrenched such events are in daily life. For most of us who have experienced discrimination or racism, it generally spans across time periods and sectors of our lives, be it professional, academic, personal, or social. As well, if many of us have lived in different cities or regions of the country, or if we have traveled abroad and experienced such behavior, it is more difficult to typify these events or the individuals who perpetrate them.
20 Recaps documents a spectrum of MDR incidents to refute their individual, isolated nature. The goal is for individuals listening to 20 events in someone’s life to understand that racism and discrimination are foundational to our country and open themselves to addressing structures that impede dismantling them.
ABOUT CRAIG
Craig was born in the Midwest, raised primarily in the South/Southwest, and has lived most of his adult life in the Northeast. He has experienced numerous MDR incidents in each of these regions as well as internationally.
In addition to writing, Craig has spent his career in philanthropy, education management, and consulting. He worked at the Ford Foundation, at Edison Schools—once the largest charter school management organization nationally—and he has taught graduate classes at NYU. At each of these institutions, and others, systemic bias was so ingrained that to speak against it usually got one labeled as difficult or angry. He knows that the unspoken rules at such institutions and in daily life have kept Black people at the bottom of a hierarchy. Sadly, many remain silent or risk retaliation. Yet silence comes at great expense to our economic, social, and mental well-being. Craig encourages others to share their stories to inform their friends, colleagues, and the larger public.
Craig earned a bachelor’s in political science from Trinity University in San Antonio, a master’s in public policy from NYU, and a master’s in organizational dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Craig lives in New York City and is available for speaking engagements.
Contact Craig for more info.