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"The affable and ambitious third-party hopeful (Craig Schley) could be positioned perfectly in November"...said Darcy G. Richardson of the Uncoveredpolitics.com
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Meet The Candidate
Craig Schley was born in Philadelphia on September 23, 1963. The best words to describe Craig Schley are determined and dedicated. As a teenager growing up in a poor urban community in Philadelphia in the 60’s, he was not afforded the right educational tools to fulfill his dreams. Since the age of 20, he has pursued his life with a focus that has allowed him to overcome substantial hurdles, turning setbacks into triumphs. While he did not know it as a young man, determination would be the key that would help him overcome the disadvantages of a poor inner-city education.
Raised in a family of six children, his parents worked hard to raise and educate their children through Philadelphia’s underfunded public school system. As one of the youngest, by the time he graduated from high school, his parents could only afford to provide him with a roof over his head. So, at the age of 18, determined not be a burden on his parents, he left home with $600 and a high school diploma. Not having a college education forced him to find a job that would provide him vocational skills. That job was an electrician’s apprentice for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Although the apprenticeship taught him practical skills, Craig had a strong desire to serve the public. This desire led him to become a firefighter for the DeKalb County Fire Department in Georgia. For nearly five years, he worked to saves lives. Firefighting ignited once again his determination to overcome whatever obstacle came in his path. “When I saw how precious, yet short, one’s life could be, not achieving my life’s goals was no longer an option”. Craig decided to pursue a higher education with the goal of serving others.
This goal led him to New York City, where Craig studied at New York University, and paid for his education by working as a model with Wilhelmina. A successful career in modeling also helped him connect with people all around the world. Craig worked with and made friends across continents as well as in cities across the US, all the while saving money to pay for school. In 2003, he graduated from New York University (NYU) with a bachelor’s degree in political science at the age of 39, becoming the first man in his family to graduate from college.
While at NYU and a Dean’s List Scholar, he was given the opportunity to do an independent study with the New York City Commission on Human Rights. While there, he assisted people seeking relief under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and prepared them for potential legal actions.
Craig also gained exposure to the functioning of public offices when he paired an internship with an independent study of a United States Congressman’s office. In addition to observing the role of a congressman in his community, Craig directly interacted with constituents, briefed the office on issues of relevance, including social security, and communicated with embassies and officials throughout the US.
Wanting to understand all branches of our government, Craig interned as an assistant clerk for a New State Supreme Court Judge. There he naturally developed skills that prepared him to work as a legal assistant to some of New York’s top legal minds in civil litigation and criminal defense and human rights law. This perspective, added to his sense of the political realm led him to become a political strategist for citywide elected offices and a dispute mediator. Craig’s appreciation and respect for the political process is put to good use as an Election Protection legal assistant watching and monitoring polling locations and voting ill regularities during election day.
Seeking to serve the complete community, Craig was an active board member of the Harlem Educational Program in Association with Columbia University Teachers College, and the Harlem YMCA Youth and Government program as their Assistant Director. Craig’s love of children and sports is the motivation for his term as assistant coach of little league football.
Craig continues to serve his community: He is the founder of Voices of the Everyday People (VOTE People), a human rights advocacy organization thatworks to manifest the needs and intent of the people of communities in which policy and legal reform is proposed. VOTE People recently sued the City of New York, the City Planning Commission, and the City Council for rezoning Harlem's cultural center in and around 125th Street. Craig has also publicly opposed the expansion of Columbia University, being imposed against the will of the community. Craig has worked to bring people together during these critical times of rapid change in Harlem. In addition to opposing unfair land use proposals, he serves his neighbors as president of his block association, the West 123rd Street Residents’ Association.
Craig is proud of his great-grandfather, Luke Grady, who, after Reconstruction, taught himself how to read and became North Carolina’s first African-American State Legislator. Craig seeks to carry on Grady’s tradition of serving others in their government and would like to represent the people of the 15th Congressional District, where he has resided and served for nearly 20 years. |
