Fierce civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson, who became an outspoken voice for Black Lives Matter following Michael Brown's death, is reflecting. On "Salon Talks," Mckesson spoke with SalonTV's D. Watkins about how to actually affect meaningful change on a policy level.

"We have to be as organized on the inside as we are on the outside," Mckesson said. "I think people realized that we can't just fight the people in power, we have to be the people in power."

Mckesson elaborates on these points in his book "On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope,", which also details his journey into social activism.

Mckesson, who ran for mayor of Baltimore two years ago, says that people need to understand that they have the power to effect lasting change in policy if they are willing to put in the hard work.

Watch the video above to learn more about Mckesson's solutions for bridging the gap between protesting and affecting policy change. And check out Salon's full interview with Mckesson to hear his approach to handling his passionate critics.