Trading Activism for City Hall: A Short History

DeRay Mckesson, the one of the leading activists known for helping propel the “Black Lives Matter” ethos into the mainstream consciousness, is running to be mayor of Baltimore. To say that his campaign is a long shot is an understatement: There are at least a dozen strong potential candidates, including former mayor Sheila Dixon, who currently leads the polls. But Mckesson’s much-publicized activism, from Ferguson to his native city of Baltimore, places him rather outside the usual political network.

Mckesson understands and embraces his odds. As he wrote in his declaration: “I have come to realize that the traditional pathway to politics, and the traditional politicians who follow these well-worn paths, will not lead us to the transformational change our city needs.”