Maya Wiley


Maya Wiley is an American civil rights activist and former board chair of the NYC Civilian Complaint Review Board, an independent and impartial police oversight agency. Wiley was appointed to this role in September 2016. Prior to her role at the CCRB, Wiley served as counsel to the Mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio. Wiley is currently the senior vice president for Social Justice at The New School and the Henry Cohen Professor of Urban Policy and Management at the Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment. Wiley was announced as an MSNBC Legal Analyst on August 27, 2018.

Early life and education

According to her January 2, 2019 appearance on the MSNBC show The Beat with Ari Melber, Wiley was born on January 2, 1963 or 1964. Wiley grew up in Washington, D.C. Her father was civil rights leader George Wiley. Her mother, Wretha Frances Wiley, was white, and inspired her to focus on progressive issues. Wiley earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School

Career

Wiley served in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. Before being appointed counsel to the mayor in 2014, she worked for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Open Society Institute. She also founded and served as president of the Center for Social Inclusion, a national policy strategy organization dedicated to dismantling structural racism.
In 2013, she was mentioned as a potential president of the NAACP, but the post went instead to Cornell William Brooks.

Personal life

Wiley lives in Brooklyn, New York, and has two daughters.