Wiley was born on January 2,1964,in Syracuse,New York,and raised in Washington,D.C.[4] Her father was civil rights leader,chemist and academic George Wiley. Her mother,Wretha Frances (Whittle) Wiley,was white,and inspired her to focus on progressive issues.[5][6] On August 8,1973,Wiley's 42-year-old father fell overboard while sailing with Wiley and her older brother on his 23‐foot boat on Chesapeake Bay,Maryland.[7][8] On August 12,1973,his body was found floating in the bay off the shore of Chesapeake Beach,Maryland,after a three-day search.[9][10]
Wiley spent two and a half years as counsel to de Blasio,during which time she became known for coining the term "agents of the city" in an attempt to prevent public disclosure of de Blasio's communications with lobbyists.[16] She also founded and served as president of the Center for Social Inclusion,a national policy strategy organization dedicated to dismantling structural racism.[17][15][18][19]
Wiley has taught at The New School,where she founded the Digital Equity Laboratory,[20] and appeared on MSNBC as a political and legal analyst.[21]
In November 2023,Wiley was named the District of Columbia School of Law Foundation’s Joseph L. Rauh,Jr. Chair of Civil and Human Rights.[22]
In March 2022, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights announced Wiley's appointment as its president and CEO, and of its sister group, The Leadership Conference Education Fund, effective May 2.[31][32] In 2023, she represented the Leadership Conference at a meeting hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris with labor and rights groups to discuss threats from artificial intelligence (AI),[33] and as a panelist at the U.S. Senate's inaugural AI Insight Forum, hosted by majority leader Chuck Schumer.[34] Wiley also attended White House meetings during the Biden administration, alongside other civil rights leaders, to advocate for stronger voting rights and more economic opportunities for the Black community.[35] In 2025, the Leadership Conference, under the direction of Maya Wiley, laid off over 40% of mostly-union staff as part of a major restructuring to shift the organization’s strategic direction.
↑ Fitzsimmons, Emma G. (February 19, 2021). "Maya Wiley Is Backed by N.Y.C.'s Largest Union, Lifting Her Bid for Mayor". The New York Times. Retrieved March 18, 2024. New York City's largest union endorsed Maya Wiley, the former MSNBC analyst and legal counsel to Mayor Bill de Blasio, in the race for mayor on Friday, giving a lift to her campaign as she tries to prove that she is a leading candidate in the crowded Democratic field.
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