VIDEO: New York Philharmonic's Clarinetist Anthony McGill Takes Two Knees to Protest Racism

New York Philharmonic clarinetist Anthony McGill posted a video on YouTube of himself performing 'America the Beautiful' before dropping to his knees, in protest of the ongoing racism in the country.

"This is a Black man going down to his knees and putting his arms and his instrument behind his back, saying, 'Take me, arrest me.' And in a way, as I was doing it, it felt like surrender," he told Here and now, "We surrender to the hope that everyone will come together on this issue and try to fix it and try to make things better. We kneel because we have tried so hard that it's hard to stand."

In the caption on the video, McGill encourages others to join him. "Let's try and #TakeTwoKnees in the struggle for justice and decency," he writers. "No guidelines. Your message, your voice, your mission, your focus. Just #TakeTwoKnees for what you believe in. Pass it along. Let's try this again and put a spotlight on this evil."

Watch the video.

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