Guilty By Association
Even though he was a Democrat, Sammy Davis Jr. was a Richard Nixon supporter. At the 1972 Republican National Convention, Davis publically endorsed him. Nixon respected Sammy because of his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, and the two became pretty close friends. Unfortunately, not all of Sammy’s fans were on board with this new friendship.
Harry Belafonte, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and Sammy Davis Jr. at the ‘Broadway Answers Selma’ show on April 4th, 1965. Photo by Everett Collection / Shutterstock
At Nixon’s request, Sammy made a USO tour to South Vietnam. In 1973, Richard Nixon invited Sammy Davis and his wife at the time, Altovise, to stay at the White House. The couple stayed in the Queen’s bedroom, and it was the first time African Americans were welcome to sleep at the White House.