Norman Lear supports NFL protests with #TakeAKnee

Norman Lear is best known as the legendary producer behind All in the Family, The Jeffersons, and Good Times. But, he’s also a World War II veteran who’s taking a knee to show support for the NFL player protests.

On Wednesday, the 95-year-old shared two pictures of himself taking a knee, one in uniform during WWII, and the other in the present. “As a combat vet, I fought Nazis of WWII,” he wrote. “Today I #takeaknee, once more, in solidarity w/my brothers & sisters still fighting 4 equality & justice.”

Taking a knee to peacefully protest racial injustice and police brutality began silently last year with then-San Fransisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick deciding to kneel during the national anthem. The trend continued in the first few weeks of the 2017 NFL season with a small number of players taking part. Yet, a new spotlight was shined on the issue when, at a Friday rally in Alabama, President Trump referred to the sideline protestors, who had been comprised mostly of black players, as “son of a bitch” and suggested they should be “fired.” Trump’s remarks galvanized the NFL and led to a massive increase in kneeling, while multiple teams even chose to stay in the locker room for the anthem.

Lear becomes the latest high-profile member of the TV world to join the #TakeAKnee movement, following suit with the casts of Grey’s Anatomy, X-Files, and Star Trek: Discovery.