DeRay Mckesson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
DeRay Mckesson
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Mckesson in 2024
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| Born | July 9, 1985 |
| Alma mater | Bowdoin College |
| Occupation | Activist, podcaster |
| Awards | Peter Jennings Award, Howard Zinn Freedom to Write Award |
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DeRay Mckesson (born July 9, 1985) is an American activist and podcaster. He works to make sure everyone has fair and equal rights. He used to be a school administrator.
Mckesson was an early supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement. This movement works for fairness and equal treatment for Black people. He was active in events in Ferguson, Missouri and Baltimore, Maryland. He also used social media like Twitter and Instagram to share his message.
He has written for HuffPost and The Guardian. With other activists, Mckesson helped start Campaign Zero. This is a plan with ideas to help make communities safer and improve police practices. He is now part of Crooked Media and hosts a podcast called Pod Save the People.
In 2016, Mckesson ran for Mayor of Baltimore. He received 3,445 votes, which was 2.6% of the total. He placed sixth in the Democratic Party primary election.
Mckesson wrote a book called On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope. It tells about his life and his work as an organizer for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
Mckesson was involved in community organizing when he was a teenager in Baltimore City. He was the Chairman of Youth As Resources. This group helped young people lead projects and give out grants.
He graduated from Catonsville High School in 2003. Then, he went to Bowdoin College. There, he was the president of the student government. Mckesson earned a degree in government and legal studies in 2007.
Working in Education
After college, Mckesson started his career in education. He worked for Teach for America for two years. He taught at an elementary school in New York City.
Later, he worked for the Baltimore City Public Schools. He also worked for the Harlem's Children's Zone. He was a human resources official at Minneapolis Public Schools. In June 2016, he became the interim chief human capital officer for Baltimore City Public Schools. This role involved managing people and resources for the school system.
Some people had different ideas about education. They sometimes disagreed with Mckesson's involvement in Teach for America. They also had different views on his support for charter schools.
Standing Up for What's Right
Template:Progressivism US Mckesson first traveled from Minneapolis to Ferguson, Missouri, in August 2014. He spent his weekends and vacations there. In March 2015, he shared on Twitter that he had left his job. He then moved to St. Louis to focus on his activism.
Creating Change with Campaign Zero
In April 2015, Mckesson worked with fellow activists. These included Johnetta Elzie, Samuel Sinyangwe, and Brittany Packnett. In August 2015, they launched Campaign Zero. This was a ten-point plan for improving police practices. The plan aimed to make communities safer for everyone. Mckesson and Elzie received the Howard Zinn Freedom to Write Award in 2015 for their important work.
Speaking Out for Justice
In late 2015, he was a guest speaker at Yale Divinity School. In November of that year, Mckesson spoke at the GLAAD Gala. He talked about the importance of everyone feeling safe and accepted. He encouraged people to be open about who they are.
In February 2016, Mckesson announced he would run for Mayor of Baltimore. He finished sixth in the city's primary election in April. In June 2016, he was named interim chief human capital officer for the Baltimore City Public School System.
Important Meetings and Recognition
In July 2016, Mckesson took part in a protest in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was speaking out for fairness. During the protest, Mckesson was briefly held by authorities. He was released the next day, and the charges were later dropped.
A few days later, he met with President Obama at the White House. Other activists and police officials were also there. They discussed how to improve relations between Black communities and law enforcement.
In 2016, Mckesson appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He talked about important topics like fairness and education.
Mckesson voted for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primary election. He then voted for Hillary Clinton in the general election.
In 2017, Mckesson started the Pod Save the People podcast. On the show, he discusses news, culture, and social justice. He hosts with Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Samuel Sinyangwe, Dr. Clint Smith, and other guests.
In 2018, a portrait of Mckesson was created for the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. This is a special honor.
In May 2021, Bowdoin College gave Mckesson an honorary doctorate. This was from his old college.
Books by DeRay Mckesson
- On the Other Side of Freedom (2018) ISBN: 978-0525560326
