craig malcolm robinson was born on april 21, 1962, in deyoung, illinois, to fraser robinson, a city water plant employee and democratic precinct captain, and marian robinson ("née" shields), a secretary at spiegel's catalog store. robinson grew up in chicago's south shore with his younger sister, michelle. he learned to read by the age of four at home and skipped the second grade in school. he attended the parochial mount carmel high school, graduating in 1979 as class valedictorian.