Fortune Names Ferguson Protestors Among ‘World’s Greatest Leaders’ List

Fortune’s list of World’s Greatest Leaders, published Thursday morning, included CEOs, popes, pop stars, and tech bros. But it also included two names from the streets of Ferguson: protest leaders Johnetta Elzie and DeRay McKesson. Their nomination stands in stark contrast to the denunciations of the Ferguson protesters as anti-cop anarchists.

“We set out to find singular leaders with vision who moved others to act as well, and who brought their followers with them on a shared quest,” the magazine’s editors wrote in the intro. “We looked for effectiveness and commitment and for the courage to pioneer.”

McKesson traveled from Minnesota to become a full-time activist in Ferguson, where he ended up creating the Ferguson Protester Newsletter. Elzie put her college degree on hold to join him and the rest of the activists. (A good rundown of their evolution can be found at the Huffington Post.) Per Fortune, that newsletter now reaches 15,000 subscribers. McKesson and Elzie also have active Twitter presences.

McKesson tweeted on Thursday:

Humbled and honored to be included in the #FortuneLeaders list with @Nettaaaaaaaa: http://t.co/Jd3IhxgFYz

— deray mckesson (@deray) March 26, 2015

Elzie followed up:

The Fortune list is major but… They still killing us. Maybe it's the hood in me but they still killing niggas like its 1667.

— ShordeeDooWhop (@Nettaaaaaaaa) March 26, 2015

[h/t Fortune]
[Image via Twitter]

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