Prominent activist DeRay Mckesson and others met with leading Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton Friday to push for police reform.
Mckesson, a Baltimore native and former public school administrator here, is part of a team called Campaign Zero, which seeks to end police killings in America. African-Americans are much more likely to be killed by police than whites.
The group wants end so-called "broken windows" policing, increase community oversight of police and limit use-of-force, among other goals.
After the meeting, Clinton, the former Secretary of State, called McKesson, who has 234,000 Twitter followers, a "social media emperor."
Mckesson said he and others are hoping to see a Clinton platform that seeks to improve the lives of black people.
"What would her first 100 days mean for black people?" he asked. He said participants discussed issues ranging from demilitarizing police and ending private prisons to a "new deal for black people."
Mckesson called the meeting "tough, productive, and candid" on Twitter.
"It is not clear when @HillaryClinton's platform re: criminal justice &/or race will emerge, but we were told it will be in the coming weeks," he tweeted. "We pushed @HillaryClinton to de-center the police as the key to the safety in communities. And, in the end, I think she heard us. ... And we pushed @HillaryClinton re: using less coded language and talking more plainly & clearly about issues related to blackness."
Clinton later posted on Twitter, "Racism is America's original sin. To those I met with today, thank you for sharing your ideas."
Mckesson has previously met with presidential candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley. Mckesson said he has asked for meetings with Republican candidates U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, of Florida, and surgeon Ben Carson.
"We're open to meeting with anybody running for the presidency of the United States of America," Mckesson said.
lbroadwater@baltsun.com
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