Nathan may have had a problem expressing his feelings to Issa on HBO’s Insecure, but the man who brought him to life doesn’t when it comes to social issues.
Recently, Kendrick Sampson took a knee in the middle of the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic held last weekend in Los Angeles’ Will Rogers State Historic Park, to sound off against racial injustice. The actor took to Instagram to recall the incident.
“I heard the National Anthem at the #veuveclicquotpoloclassic and took a knee (per the usual)…but something special happened: Most people snickered or glanced, probably thought it was silly or controversial or insignificant or silently supported,” he wrote.
While Sampson said he’s normally the only one to kneel during the anthem at events, he was joined by another man.
“One white dude locked eyes with me. I thought, maybe he’s angry. Nope. He knelt with me,” he wrote. “After, I asked him why…he said something like ‘That’s what allies do.’”
This isn’t the first time Sampson has spoken out on social issues. Recently, the actor shared his thoughts about Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation, which he admitted left him feeling upset.
“There’s a lot of craziness happening right now,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “A lot of people are pissed, including myself.”
Sampson also recently sounded off about light-skinned privilege.
“There’s a false privilege that people buy into…and then we don’t coalition build. It’s strategic,” he told ESSENCE.
Still, Sampson indicated over on Instagram that he would be a proponent of ditching the current National Anthem in favor of one that doesn’t have racist overtones. He also said he would continue to take a knee.
“We need a new National Anthem and as long as police are getting away with killing my Native, Black and Brown people in street with virtually no accountability,” he said. “I will be supporting the movement of kneeling in solidarity.”
