Truth, Trust and Hope

Nobel Prize Summit

DeRay Mckesson

DeRay Mckesson is the Executive Director of Campaign Zero, a social justice organisation leading nationwide structural change to create equity and justice in our criminal legal system.

DeRay Mckesson is the Executive Director of Campaign Zero, a social justice organisation leading nationwide structural change to create equity and justice in our criminal legal system. Beginning as a Youth Organiser in Baltimore as a teenager, he has been an advocate and activist on a range of issues impacting people of colour for much of his life.

As a key leader in the Ferguson Uprising in 2014 and a leading voice in the Black Lives Matter Movement, DeRay remains committed to providing activists, community members, and policymakers with commonsense policies and tools that ensure and scale equity. He has been praised by President Obama for his work as a community organiser, advised officials at all levels of government and internationally, and continues to support and collaborate with activists, organisers and leaders to make an impact.

DeRay frequently appears on national and cable television programs, including The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, NPR, MSNBC, CNN, among others. He has also been featured on the cover of The Advocate, Adweek, and Attitude Magazine and has been highlighted in a range of publications including Vogue, Vanity Fair, Interview Magazine, VICE, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Baltimore Sun.

Born and raised in Baltimore, he graduated with a B.A. with honors from Bowdoin College and holds honorary doctorates from The New School, the Maryland Institute College of Art and Bowdoin College. He serves in board and advisory capacities for a number of policy, advocacy and media organizations including Council on Criminal Justice, Alliance For Justice, Rock the Vote, The Podcast Academy, Robinhood, Index of Impunity, Ameelio, Rock the Vote, Firework Foundation, Freedom Forum Council of Advisors and Lemonada Media.

See DeRay Mckesson at:

  • 24 May - The Global Conversation
  • Live from the Studio - Digital Exclusive: 12:30 - 14:00
  • See Programme

Event content

News and features

Video highlights

Summit talks: technology and ethics

I’m not afraid. You’re afraid.

A thought-provoking talk by technology ethicist Tristan Harris, on the race between technology creators and our regulation on AI and our ever-increasing addiction to social media.

Video highlights

Summit talks: history of disinformation

Manipulating the marginalised.

Watch researcher and scholar Rachel Kuo chart the history of how misinformation and disinformation has been used against the disenfranchised across different racial and religious groups and what we can do collectively to combat it.

News and updates

Speaker highlights

Summit messages

A message from the summit organisers

“I don’t think the truth has ever mattered more”

Watch Vidar Helgesen, Executive Director of the Nobel Foundation and Marcia McNutt, President of the US National Academy of Sciences, discuss the upcoming Nobel Prize Summit.

See all speakers and panellists

“With the 2023 Nobel Prize Summit we will promote the scientific method, critical thinking, and constructive dialogue.”

Vidar Helgesen, Executive Director of the Nobel Foundation and Marcia McNutt, President of the US National Academy of Sciences.

NOBEL PRIZE SUMMIT PARTNERS