Randall Lee Kryn is an American historian, writer, journalist, and biographer best known for his work with the Civil Rights Movement. Throughout his life in the Great Lakes region of the Midwestern U.S., he has also been involved in community organizing, politics, activism, and Wikipedia editing.
Randy Kryn | |
|---|---|
| Born | Randall Lee Kryn October 12, 1949 |
| Other names | R. L. Kryn Mr. Kryn[1] |
| Citizenship | American |
| Occupation(s) | Historian Writer Journalist |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Title | Chief biographer |
| Board member of | Chairman of 7th Congressional Republican Council (1986–1990, 1992) |
| Parent(s) | Beatrice Kryn (mother) Chester North (father) |
| Academic background | |
| Education | Oak Park and River Forest High School (1967) Morton College, A.A. (1970) |
| Alma mater | Northern Illinois University, B.S. in journalism (1973) |
| Thesis | Randy Kryn: Movement Revision Research Summary Regarding James Bevel |
| Influences | David Garrow |
| Academic work | |
| Era | 1954–1968 |
| Discipline | History of the United States |
| Sub-discipline | Civil Rights Movement |
| Main interests | James Bevel, Selma to Montgomery marches, Chicago Freedom Movement, Birmingham campaign, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) |
Early life and education
editKryn was born to mother Beatrice Kryn and father Chester North on October 12, 1949 in Chicago, Illinois. He was a student of Oak Park and River Forest High School, class of 1967.[2] Thereafter, he studied in college, graduating with an A.A. at Morton College in 1970, and a B.S. in journalism at Northern Illinois University in 1973.[3]
Community organizing and politics
editIn 1978, Kryn served as assistant public relations director for the Oak Park Festival;[3] that same year, he also founded the Oak Park Center of Creativity and was its president until 1990. It has been a registered non-profit organization since 1980, and today has assets of more than $50 million. Kryn ran for Illinois Senate in 1982 as a Republican; meanwhile, in 1980–1983, he was a legislation aide to the representative in the 21st district Illinois General Assembly.[3]
Historiography and writing
editKryn began writing and researching for William M. Young & Associates in 1977;[3] since 1983, Kryn has undertaken extensive work chronicling pivotal aspects of the Civil Rights Movement (1954–1968) such as the Birmingham campaign, the Selma to Montgomery marches, the Chicago Freedom Movement, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). As chief biographer,[4] he has also detailed the role of James Bevel as the movement's main strategist.[5] Some of Kryn's work has been a collaborative effort with David Garrow.[6]
Activism
editOn August 28, 1996, Kryn (then a Madison, Wisconsin resident) was detained by the Federal Protective Service while protesting in a demonstration at Kluczynski Federal Building in downtown Chicago.[7] 10 others were arrested along with Kryn, including David Dellinger and Andrew Hoffman. Kryn was also an early activist for the preservation of Ray Bradbury's hometown records in Waukegan, Illinois and contributed his own work to the Waukegan Initiative.[8]
Personal life and other endeavors
edit
In 1992, Kryn founded Madison EarthSave.[3] Kryn now resides in Columbus, Ohio, where he is registered to vote as a Democrat since 2008.[9] He is a prolific Wikipedia editor, currently[a] ranked #213 with more than 214,000 edits to his name; his most-edited article is Founding Fathers of the United States, and he attended the 2017 Wikimania (9-13 August) at the Le Centre Sheraton Hotel in Montreal, Canada among a total group size of 915.
Notes
edit- ^ As of November 19, 2022
References
edit- ^ Ralph, James (November 2005). "James Ralph: Response to Randy Kryn". Chicago Freedom Movement. Middlebury College, Vermont. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
- ^ Oak Park and River Forest High School - Tabula Yearbook (Oak Park, IL) - Class of 1967. Digital Data Online, Inc. 1967 [1st published]. p. 181.
- ^ a b c d e "Randall Lee Kryn". Prabook.com. Prabook, World Biographical Encyclopedia. 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
- ^ Fleming Jr., Mike (May 9, 2014). "Common Is James Bevel, Andre Holland Is Andrew Young In Ava DuVernay's MLK Tale 'Selma'". deadline.com. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
- ^
Kryn, Randy (2005–2010). "Movement Revision Research Summary Regarding James Bevel". middlebury.edu. Middlebury College. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date format (link) - ^ Garrow, David; Kryn, Randy (1989). James L. Bevel, The Strategist of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. We Shall Overcome. Vol. 2. Brooklyn: Carlson Publishing Company. p. (unknown).
- ^ "The Federal Protective Service arrested 11 protesters Wednesday in...", United Press International, August 28, 1996, retrieved November 19, 2022
- ^ Eller, Jonathan; Toupounce, William (2004) [1st published]. Ray Bradbury: The Life of Fiction (illustrated ed.). Kent State University Press. p. xxi. ISBN 9780873387798.
- ^ "Randall Lee Kryn". ohioresidentdatabase.com. Ohio Secretary of State. 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
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