Christopher Ellis Crutchfield, a tireless champion of racial equity and social justice, passed away on Nov. 4. He was 54.
Crutchfield was born in St. Paul to a distinguished family of doctors and lawyers as the son of Dr. Charles E. Crutchfield and the late Dr. Susan Ellis Crutchfield. He attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1992, and the University of Minnesota Law School, graduating in 1999.
"Although Chris had a unique path, it wasn't a path unique in his family," said Robert Mitsch, an attorney and Crutchfield's step-father from age 6. "[The Crutchfield family] all were very accomplished -- and all had a very strong sense of giving back to the community, of finding ways to use their skills and talents to help others, so that wasn't unusual. But Christopher had a deep, natural affinity for and deep empathy with people. That was his great gift."
At the time of his death, Crutchfield was CEO of Ujamaa Place, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering and supporting young Black men facing systemic barriers and challenges, a position he held for two years before his passing. But the entirety of his life was one of outstanding service to the community.
"Chris was a precious, precious community member," said longtime friend and colleague Melvin Carter, Jr. "There's a hole in our city today. St. Paul is a lesser place for his death. Chris was loved, admired and respected by everybody."
Following college, Crutchfield returned to Minnesota with a deep-seated passion for racial equity and held many roles with nonprofits, including as a member of the board of directors of Osprey Wilds and as an attorney for community land trust organizations.
"Chris was very, very skilled at working behind the scenes to help those who were marginalized. Many of the beneficiaries of his work didn't know that it was his work. He did that year in and year out. He was tireless," said Michael Belton, a colleague and friend of 25 years.
"I don't know of a single African American community-based organization that doesn't know about Christopher Crutchfield and didn't have Chris as their attorney at one time. If you needed legal help, he was there.
"Chris brought a lot of light and love. He was a funny man who loved to laugh with other people," Belton added. "He had an incredible sense of humor and could find and express it in the most appropriate and inappropriate ways."
As a Bush Fellow with the Bush Foundation in 2001, Crutchfield researched the Underground Railroad, slavery, and their impacts -- leading Underground Railroad re-enactments in Minnesota for two decades.
In 2006, Crutchfield became the deputy director of community relations for Ramsey County Community Corrections, where he provided strong leadership in juvenile justice reform, racial equity, legislative affairs, community partnerships, and groundbreaking initiatives. In 2023, Gov. Tim Walz appointed Crutchfield to the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission. For more than 10 years, he taught legal topics at St. Cloud State University and Inver Hills Community College.
Andrea Jepson met Crutchfield when the two were 8-year-olds in a talented and gifted scholar program at their elementary school. "Every week for four years, we were together," she said.
"Chris was not a saint; he was a real human. And he was better for that, more lovely for that. And we are better for that.
"What made Chris so special was that he was so accessible. He was just a regular guy who cared a lot about people and did his best to make things better for others."
Crutchfield was an avid outdoorsman committed to providing outdoor cultural experiences for youth and the community. He relished taking others on their first fishing trips.
"Chris was fast friends with everyone he met," Jepson said. "Everybody keeps calling me and saying, 'I was Chris' best friend.' I keep saying, 'Hey now! No one can have that many best friends.' But that's the way Chris was, the way everyone felt about him."
Crutchfield made his home near Lake Phalen in St. Paul with his wife Thu-Mai Ho-Kim and the couple's five children: Mahogany (William), Carmen, Coral, Christopher and Carina.