Deray McKesson on AM to DM by BuzzFeed News

#BlackLivesMatter activist Deray McKesson joined AM to DM by BuzzFeed News recently to discuss his infamous blue vest, coming out as a gay activist and his new book, “On the Other Side of Freedom.”

Some highlights from the interview are,

Why he wears the same blue vest: (read the BuzzFeed News report here)

“We were on the street for 400 days in Ferguson for the protest…It got cold really quick and I needed something to wear that I would never have to pack. And the vest was it…I still wear it, because it reminds me that all of the things that we went through were real. I’ve had this vest on when I was tear-gassed when I was dragged out of the police department by my ankles when I was shot at with bullets. This is my grounding piece…I have been in so many places that I could forget about what happened and I never want to forget how fragile freedom is and was in those moments.”

Coming out as gay, as a black activist:

The hardest moment was the New York Times profile of me early in the protest when most people found out I was gay. I didn’t get out of bed…the article is a kind article, but people were really wild. There are a lot of people who are homophobic but like me…and there are some who think I can’t have a transformative vision – the idea of who I love and who I am – prohibits me from having a care about black people.”

The power of imagination:

“So often we think of resistance as only tearing the bad things. But when the bad things end we still have to build something good. And that’s when the imagination begins.”

AM to DM airs live every day on BuzzFeed News via Twitter and live.twitter.com/AM2DM at 10 am EST. Follow along @AM2DM using #AM2DM!