“I think about all of my students who were math-phobic, who didn't believe they could learn math, who didn't understand, who didn't think they were smart enough, and by the end, they understood that they already had the gifts, and my job was to help them access them, and I believe that.”

American civil rights activist and podcaster

DeRay Mckesson is an American civil rights activist, progressive podcaster, and former school administrator. He is known for his work in the Black Lives Matter movement and for public advocacy around police violence. Mckesson took part in the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore, Maryland, and has used social media to speak about activism and public policy. He also wrote for HuffPost and The Guardian, helped launch Campaign Zero with Johnetta Elzie, Brittany Packnett, and Samuel Sinyangwe, and now works with Crooked Media as host of Pod Save the People.