Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson has officially endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. Mckesson, who has been one of the more public faces of the Black Lives Matter movement, announced that he will be voting for the presidential candidate in an opinion story for the Washington Post that published on Wednesday.
Mckesson writes in his piece, "I am not naive enough to believe that voting is the only way to bring about transformational change, just as I know that protest alone is not the sole solution to the challenges we face." He also acknowledged that he does not agree with Clinton on everything, but writes, "I agree with Clinton more than I disagree with her."
The story focuses primarily on Clinton's platform regarding racial justice, including president Bill Clinton's 1994 crime bill. Mckesson argues that Clinton has a solid plan for dealing with racial inequality:
Clinton’s platform on racial justice is strong: It is informed by the policy failings of the past and is a vision for where we need to go. It acknowledges the need to establish new restrictions on police use of force and militarization, invest in treatment and rehabilitation as alternatives to police and prisons, and protect and expand the right to vote.
Mckesson has been vocal in his opposition to Trump and has offered praise to Clinton, but didn't pledge to vote for any candidate until his op-ed was published Wednesday.
Other prominent Black Lives Matter activists have been openly quite critical of Clinton, including the founder of Black Lives Matter, Alicia Garza. In an August interview with Bloomberg, "The Clintons use black people for votes, but then don’t do anything for black communities after they’re elected. They use us for photo ops."
Mckesson ended his piece saying, "There is much work that lies ahead, and Clinton is ready and prepared to do the hard work. And we can, and will, hold her accountable every step of the way. I’m voting for Hillary Clinton."
