Skip to content
BOSTON & SAN DIEGO INNOVATION LAB LOG IN
Aspen Challenge Logo
  • Partner Cities
  • The Work
    • Challenges & Solutions
    • Speakers & Judges
  • About Us
    • How It Works
    • What’s New
    • Galleries

DeRay Mckesson

Civil Rights Activist and Educator

Partner Cities

  • Philadelphia 2017

DeRay Mckesson is a protestor, civil rights activist, and educator. A Baltimore native, he has advocated for children and families since he was a teen, was founding director of an after-school/out-of-school program, and provided leadership to executive teams of two large urban school districts. Spurred by Mike Brown’s death and subsequent protests in Ferguson, MO, Mckesson joined the effort to address mass incarceration and police killings of blacks and minorities. He co-founded the Protestor Newsletter, Campaign Zero (a policy platform to end police violence), and Mapping Police Violence. Fortune Magazine named him one of 2015’s 50 World’s Greatest Leaders, and the New School awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2016.

Aspen Challenge

1000 N Third Street
Aspen, CO 81611
(970) 544-7915

Contact Us

The Work

  • Partner Cities
  • Challenges & Solutions
  • Speakers & Judges

About Us

  • How It Works
  • What’s New
  • Galleries

Stay Connected

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

© 2025 Aspen Challenge By visiting this site, you agree to the Aspen Institute’s Privacy Policy.
Should you not agree to the terms of the policy, please do not use this digital property.

Aspen Institute Privacy Policy | Aspen Institute Community Agreement | Aspen Institute Legal Terms

Page load link