Cedric the Entertainer and actor Kendrick Sampson, who plays the cute but devious Caleb Hapstall on How to Get Away With Murder, led a march of hundreds of men, women and children down Sunset Boulevard on Wednesday to protest the shooting deaths of black people by police.
“We must get involved,” said Cedric, who said the police killing of black men has reached a boiling point. “Nobody wants a Dallas situation; no one wants to encourage that.”
Sampson said that he became involved after the deaths of Terence Crutcher in Tulsa, Okla., and Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte, N.C. He then mentioned Alfred Olango, who was killed by San Diego-area police Tuesday.
“As soon as I hear about another one, tears come up and then I swallow them, and it just motivates me that much more to get involved and text my friends and family and tell them I love them, especially the people of color, my nephews and nieces,” he said.
“They called for help and they murdered him,” Cedric chimed in, speaking of Olango’s family, who called because the 38-year-old Ugandan refugee was in mental distress. “We want to see change. We want to see reform in policing.”
Russell Simmons and Beyoncé’s mom, Tina Knowles, were also reportedly due to attend the Wednesday-night event in Hollywood but had last-minute travel delays, organizers said.
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