Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson is running for mayor of Baltimore

Mr Mckesson gained widespread popularity during the 2014 protests in Ferguson, Missouri

DeRay Mckesson, left, poses with Dr Jill Stein. (DeRay McKesson/Instagram)

One of the most prominent voices in the Black Lives Matter movement has filed to run for mayor in Baltimore.

DeRay Mckesson, 30, is a Baltimore native and a member of Campaign Zero, an effort to end police killings of blacks in America derived from the Black Lives Matter movement.

Mr Mckesson filed just before Wednesday night's 9pm deadline, the Baltimore Sun reports. Mr Mckesson is a former Baltimore public school administrator who rose to prominence during the 2014 protests in Ferguson, Missouri.

The crowded mayoral race includes 28 candidates: 13 Democrats, four Republicans, three Green Party members and one Libertarian, according to the Sun.