Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson inks book deal

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DeRay McKesson, one of the most visible faces of the Black Lives Matter movement, is set to release a book in September 2018.

The book, called On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope, is already available for pre-order and has been described by the publisher as both a memoir and a manifesto.

Viking said that the book would set down “the intellectual, pragmatic political framework for a new liberation movement.”

While Viking would not discuss the specifics of the deal with McKesson, they did tell BuzzFeed News that the auction for the book was “highly-competitive.” Out of 17 bidders, Viking was able to snag the deal, with North American rights going to rising star Georgia Bodnar, and Wendy Wolf, known for a recent acquisition of work from the author of Hidden Figures. 

A continuation of Twitter conversations

McKesson also told BuzzFeed News that the book would include reflections on what it was like “being in conversation” with other activists, especially on social media sites like Twitter.

“I love Twitter and have used the platform to process and reflect, and to challenge power over the past three years,” he said, characterizing the book as a continuation of those conversations on Twitter. “The book is an opportunity to share a host of ideas and stories about resistance, Blackness and a pathway to freedom in a fully developed way.”

The book’s memoir reflections will include McKesson’s meetings with politicians like President Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, and Hillary Clinton. He will also reflect on meeting Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch and his experience being part of the grassroots movement for Black lives.

McKesson, who currently has a podcast called Pod Save the People, caught national attention for his participation in the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, following the death of Michael Brown. He also announced last summer that he would leave his job as head of human resources for Baltimore’s public schools to be a full-time activist. And with a book like this, it looks like he’s certainly ready to take on the world.