
DeRay also became known for his work in Ferguson, as his deft use of social media provided protestors a viral voice to broadcast to a Twitter following (@deray) that has now sprouted to over 123,000. He has since left his job as senior director of human capital for Minneapolis Public Schools to pursue his activism full-time with We The Protestors, most recently in Baltimore following Freddie Gray’s death.
“We want to make people feel as uncomfortable as we feel when we hear about Mike, about Eric Garner, about Tamir Rice,” DeRay told The New York Times. “We want them to experience what we go through on a daily basis.”
DeRay and Brittany Packnett have teamed up to facilitate “#FergusonFireside” virtual calls for young activists, and released a series called “Open Letters from Ferguson” that captures the protestors’ demands for justice and have been viewed by over 260,000 people.