Name: DeRay McKesson
Profession: Activist / Protestor
Age: 29
One Word That Describes You: Ready
DeRay McKesson had never been to St. Louis. However, after seeing the city in protest, he made a decision to become a part of it. Upon arrival, he joined the ranks in protest, saw the events taking place there, and distributed this information to the world through social media. Although Mr. McKesson’s time in St. Louis involved many “firsts,” such as experiencing the effects of tear gas for the very first time, he became even more committed to building a lasting movement.
Before coming to St. Louis, McKesson was in the process of building a career in education, but when he learned about the events surrounding Mike Brown, via his news feed, his life would never be the same. “Mike Brown was killed by a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer on August 9, 2014, and that changed my life,” McKesson tells BE Modern Man. “Police violence is more common and more pervasive than I’d ever known before August 9th
. I decided to leave my career in education, and commit my time and energy, to fight to end police violence.” McKesson’s battle against police brutality has made him one of the most recognizable social media presences, and has helped keep the public up-to-date about protests throughout the country.To filter the massive volume of news reports, and to chronicle the movement going forward, McKesson started a newsletter to connect people. Then he along with another young activist, Johnetta Elzie send out articles, action alerts, photos, and tweets to keep everyone informed. “I am hopeful that we can leverage social media, and other technology platforms, to continue to re-imagine political power and community in blackness,” says McKesson. More than simply leveraging social media through his newsletter, McKesson provides an activist point-of-view to the, often times, rushed information provided to news consumers.
Education is something McKesson is very familiar with. As he continues to enlighten others with his newsletter, McKesson
emphasizes that exposure is a necessity. “I’d argue that education is fundamentally about exposure and skill-building – and this happens both in and out of the traditional classroom,” McKesson tells BE Modern Man. “It is necessary that we continue to push ourselves to be our best selves, by intentionally exposing ourselves to new ideas and new experiences, and by actively sharpening and developing new skills.” By educating, he hopes to call people to action. Tools and resources, such as the use of hyperlinks that direct readers to where they can purchase products related to movements, like T-shirts, or donate, tweet, and share, is what continues to support the movement’s growth. “There is an epidemic of police violence in communities all across the country,” says McKesson.” It is hard sometimes to remember that the fight to end police violence will not end quickly and that as we fight, the police continue to kill people.”Read more on page 2…
From a traditional classroom to the streets, McKesson believes that the same principles should be cultivated to achieve success in your vocation. “(1) Push yourself to imagine new realities,” McKesson tells BE Modern Man. “In the work of social justice, if you cannot imagine it, you cannot fight for it. (2) Refine your idea to its core and believe in it. Skill, combined with deep belief, can empower you to do and withstand almost anything. (3) Don’t forget joy. Your proximity to and from joy will likely be your strength (or your weakness) as your journey continues.”
As the mainstream media continues to portray African American stereotypes as truth, McKesson hopes that his work will free people from mental chains. “I am hopeful that in the protest space, we have all begun to acknowledge the many identities present in blackness, and the many experiences that have always been a source of strength in resistance.”
With the media focusing much of its protest coverage on the rage and anger of a few citizens, the challenge is changing the overall narrative. “In blackness, we have always faced issues of erasure: either our stores are never told, or they’re told by everyone but us. In the context of Twitter, and other social media platforms, we have been able to connect with each other differently, and have been able to tell our own stories in real-time in ways that have pushed us to re-imagine community in blackness, and have empowered us to disrupt mainstream, monolithic, images of and in blackness.”
The BlackEnterprise.com team commends DeRay for standing up for a cause he believes in, and fighting in a different way. Through his use of social media and a content-rich website, McKesson is providing a story that is much different than mainstream media. It’s a story about protestors coming together, uniting productively, and allowing people to see and hear a different voice.
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