Judith McCray

Founder & Creative Director, Juneteenth Productions

For more than 30 years, Judith McCray has developed and produced award-winning programming and documentaries that intentionally examine racism, civil rights, education, politics, and history—exposing narratives often overlooked in conventional media coverage.

Judith has long embraced using media as a vehicle to examine social justice issues, advocate social change, and inspire civic engagement. Her work explores the perspectives, courage, and hopes of those taking small or large steps towards systemic change to provide the “aha” moments that compel audiences to think and act for a just and unified society.

Judith is committed to rooting out intentional and unconscious bias in media coverage, countering it with narratives that dispel negative stigma and stereotypes. She collaborates with Chicago’s diverse communities and organizations to tell stories highlighting the voices and experiences of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and marginalized people. She's equally passionate about training and guiding emerging journalists and storytellers in classrooms and production labs to fearlessly reach beyond barriers to tell more equitable and inclusive stories that reflect and inform a diverse society. In addition to her production work, she teaches journalism and media ethics at DePaul University and is a founder/executive producer of the Change Agents Podcast Production Lab.