Are you going to go house to house?. How Gabriel Prosser Planned What Would Have Been The Largest Slave Rebellion In American History, Meet The Ken And Barbie Killers: Paul Bernardo And Karla Homolka, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. The comedian was a legend through and through: when faced with the overwhelming pressure to give in to hate, she resisted and won. That solved everything at the time.. Duncan credits White for starting his career. As the world mourns actress and comedienneBetty White, who passed away on Dec. 31, many are discovering or being reminded of the way she broke TV barriers with tap dancerArthur Duncan. "I'm sorry, but he staysLive with it!" Betty White holds the record for "longest television career of any female or male entertainer." She is older than sliced bread. Black Men XCEL Even at the risk of cancelation, White insisted that Arthur Duncan stay on and thus helped launch a successful career for him. Rest well, Betty. The show was the first big break for Duncan, then in his early 20s, he said in the 2018 documentary "Betty White, First Lady of Television.". url: 'betty,whites,controversial,hire,of,tap,dancer,arthur,duncan,made,history,in,more,ways,than,one', GOOD aligns unparalleled expertise in social science, social media, and social change. 65 Backyard . She just cared about giving people the respect they deserve. } Shaoni Das is a writer based out of Alberta, Canada. }); EVENTS This article was published more than1 year ago. A colleague. In the 1950s, Betty White was criticized for having Black tap dancer Arthur Duncan on her variety talk show, "The Betty White Show." Rating: True About this rating Betty White, also. When letters started coming from Mississippi and elsewhere demanding Arthurs removal, Betty simply wrote back saying, Needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could. It wasnt a matter of finding a compromise or trying to understand the other sides perspective; she wanted to trust her gut and do the right thing, protest be damned. tag: 'mandc,celebrity,entertainment-industry,racism', Nick Castle Jr. had become a director and asked Duncan to dance his 1989 film Tap, starring Sammy Davis Jr. Duncan obliged, but his accolades didnt end there. The daily talk/variety show on NBC allowed White to hire a female director (opens in new tab) as well as Arthur Duncan, . Age isnt an excuse to be horrible to other people. Arthur Duncan was honored in 2004 and 2006 at the Tap Extravaganza in New York and the 15th Annual St. Louis Tap Dance Festival. In response, Betty White famously said Im sorry. Arthur had seen everything he needed to see in life after reuniting with Betty. Masthead, Economic Equity & Racial Justice Townhall Series, Elevate Black Podcast sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, 100 Founders of Change by American Express, Chasing Success Podcast by JP Morgan Chase, Black Business Month Sponsored by Nationwide, 2022 Registry Of Corporate Directors Listing, 2021 BE Registry Of Corporate Directors Listing. In 1954 Betty White had a talk show and faced criticism for including a black tap dancer, Arthur Duncan, on her show.Betty responded with Im sorry. Its unclear whether her decision to keep Duncan affected the shows fate, but it was repeatedly rescheduled for different time slots before quietly being taken off the air that same year. Kindness and consideration of somebody besides yourself keeps you feeling young. In the 1950s, representation on television was still a controversial subject, and the gatekeepers of the industry werent even keen on having women run shows. The 98-year-old actress is loved by almost all and has had an unbelievably successful career spanning more than eight decades. Getty Images. BLACK ENTERPRISE is the premier business, investing, and wealth-building resource for African Americans. And all through the South, there was this whole ruckus, White remembered in the doc. Contact But the stage kept calling, and he eventually dropped out to pursue tap dancing full time. Live with it." She then gave Duncan even more airtime. ', Betty White's quips and quotes through the years, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. She extended his airtime instead, and responded to racists with "I'm sorry. Wikimedia CommonsArthur Duncan became the first Black regular on a televised American variety show. She was fond of leveraging her power to extend empathy towards those who were far less privileged than her. I know our Bo is looking forward to seeing her up in heaven. 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In February 1955, the show became the shortest run program to ever receive an Emmy nomination for Best Daytime Program. #betty #criticized #having #arthur #tap #dancer #show #said #im #sorry #live #gave #even #more . ', 'What could be better than show business? They were going to take our show off the air if we didnt get rid of Arthur, because he was Black., People in the South resented me being on the show, and they wanted me thrown out, Duncan agreed. The dancer, Arthur Duncan, was featured on "The Betty White Show" that aired in the 1950s. "The Betty White Show" was short-lived, repeatedly rescheduled and eventually taken off air, per the Post. . She treated Arthur like a friend and fought tooth and nail to have him on her show. But this story is true. In 1954, Betty White rejected pressure to stop featuring tap dancer Arthur Duncan on her show because he was Black A file photo of Betty White. Duncan's . "Her response: 'I'm sorry. ', Betty White dies at 99: Here are some of her greatest career moments. Duncan even tapped a routine in front of Betty White in a throwback to their time on her show from the 50s. . Betty White was facing pressure from stations in the South but used Duncan even more until the show was canceled in 1954. The show was canceled soon after. You never call, responded White. When asked why she was risking her livelihood to defend a Black man, she said, Im sorry, but he staysLive with it, as per People. "I'm sorry, but, you know, he stays," White said,according to a PBS biography. Barack and I join so many around the world who will miss the joy she brought to the world. Her show was cancelled afterwards. At 21, the California native had been performing in a dance quartet for years and was looking for his big break. Arthur Duncan became the first Black regular on a televised American variety show. . The comedian passed away on December 31, 2021, just weeks away from what would have been her 100th birthday. When she was encouraged to take him off because of the color of his skin, she politely declined. Betty knew she wasnt some prominent politician or royalty she was merely a television actress but she was still extremely self-aware of her influence on the country. So the next time you blame someones bigotry on their times, remember Betty White. Stay up to date with what you want to know. BE 100s By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider cat: 'entertainment', Duncan performed on The Lawrence Welk Show for nearly 20 years, making him the first Black regular on a variety show. Listen to Betty White. As in, before the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Little Rock Nine and the Greensboro, N.C., lunch-counter sit-ins. Given that White and Duncan both corroborated this story in the documentary, we rate this claim as True.. page_type: 'article', Arthur Duncan, whose exuberant tap dancing carried him from the streets of Pasadena to Betty White's variety shows in the 1950s as one of the first Black regulars performing on television,. She also starred in and produced The Betty. When encouraged to take Arthur Duncan off the air, White, then in her 30s, said: "I'm sorry, but, you know, he stays," per the Post. In 1957, he became the first Black performer to joinBob Hopes USO troop as they entertained U.S. troops in the Pacific for Christmas. The entertainer, in her early 30s at the time, was center stage, speaking to the young Black tap dancer seated on her right. In 1954, #BettyWhite was criticized after having Arthur Duncan, a Black tap dancer, on her show. Women of Power Summit "Well, Betty wrote back and said: 'needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could,'" he said. It was the first award in an entirely new category. baseDivId: 'pb-slot-right-1', She extended his airtime instead, and responded to racists with "I'm sorry. # ThankYouForBeingAFriend 11:37 AM - 31 Dec 2021 10,874 Retweets 54,906 Likes Duncan gave Underwood flowers to congratulate her return to tap dancing.In 2020, Duncan was inducted into the International Tap Dance Hall of Fame of the American Tap Dance Foundation. Watch clips and full episodes of Little Big Shots for free on Yahoo View. Arthur Duncan, 97, tap dancer (The Lawrence Welk Show, The Betty White Show) (b. And it was never a question at all," he recalled. SistersInc. Sometimes this involved putting her own reputation on the line, and still, she didnt back down. The show was a daytime talk show that also featured ente. So at age 18, he enrolled in Pasadena City College to study pharmacy. Betty White asked Arthur Duncan. Duncan reserved high praise for White during an appearance in a 2018 documentary about her titled 'Betty White: First Lady of Television.' (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) By sethuraman s . - Wikipedia-----Video originally shared on archive.orgShared for historical purposes. Betty White was born in 1922 and sliced bread was introduced in 1928. Arthur Duncan, pioneering Black tap dancer, dies at 97 Championed by Betty White at the start of his career, he became one of the first Black regulars on a TV variety show. Following his breakthrough performances on variety shows, Arthur Duncan was invited to be part of Bob Hopes troupe of performers to tour US military bases and was the first African-American to do so. As the host and producer, White hired young Black tap dancer Arthur Duncan to perform. tag: 'mandc,celebrity,entertainment-industry,racism', See when we celebrated Betty Whites 95th birthday with our 5 fave TV appearances: Steve Harveys Hilarious Version of Ray Charless Georgia on My Mind, 8-Year-Old Girl Tries to Take Steve Harveys Hosting Job, George Lopez Schools Steve Harvey During Celebrity Family Feud. In the documentary, White described that all through the South there was this whole ruckus, they were going to take the show off the air if we didnt get rid of Arthur because he was Black., Added Duncan: People in the South, some of them resented me being on the show and wanted me thrown out. He remained part of the cast from 1964 to 1982. window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; This is a tremendous loss," tap-dancing legend Arthur Duncan tells Rolling Stone. R.I.P. And he got his start in no small part thanks to Betty White. Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And by his 21st birthday, hed caught the eye of TV pioneer Betty White. Betty White was one of a kind, and no incident highlights that better than her refusing to give in to demands for a Black dancer to be removed from her show in the 50s. Theres a reason why shes widely celebrated as a trailblazer of her generation: she didnt offer any excuses or apologies. Management Jan 1, 2022. . A pioneer of early television with a career spanning almost seven decades, she was noted for her vast body of work in entertainment and for being one of the first women to work both in front of and behind the camera. He was a 13-year-old student when he joined the dance quartet at McKinley Junior High School and began studying under renowned choreographer Nick Castle. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. There was the time she ignored criticism about having Arthur Duncan, . One particular way in which Ms. White refused to bow to systemic racism was by insisting Arthur Duncan, a Black dancer, remain on her 1950s show, The Betty White Show.. "I'm sorry. (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=289be4dd-5b1f-48bc-990f-ec567999e080'; cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "289be4dd-5b1f-48bc-990f-ec567999e080" }).render("8791f6495fab447280f16fc61516a837"); }); window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; But even in California, Duncans regular presence on the show drew criticism. The entertainer, in her early 30s at the time, was center stage, speaking to the young Black tap dancer seated on her right. "I credit Betty White for really getting me started in show business. Nur Nasreen Ibrahim is a reporter with experience working in television, international news coverage, fact checking, and creative writing. When The Betty White Show was rolled out on TV channels across the US, many stations and viewers in southern US states threatened to boycott the show unless Arthur Duncan was removed owing to the segregation laws and attitudes towards race that were prevalent at the time. He said it was White who gave him his break. This was in 1954. Duncan, who credits White with launching his career, continued to break boundaries after The Betty White Show. ]); But when the shows reach was extended beyond LA, Duncans inclusion as part of the cast made waves across the Jim Crow South. Veteran actress Betty White, best known for her role in The Golden Girls and whose career spanned eight decades, has died aged 99. Arthur Chester Duncan (September 25, 1925 - January 4, 2023) was an American tap dancer, also called an "Entertainer's Entertainer," known for his stint as a performer on The Lawrence Welk Show from 1964 to 1982. "I hope we have a chance to visit after this is over," Duncan told White, to which she replied: "Oh, I hope so. Not only had she been one of the first women to helm her own show on television, but she also laid the groundwork for how women could assert their agency in a landscape that was still dismissive of their talent and power. He is a Black Tap Dancer. White died on Friday, just a few weeks shy of her 100th birthday, news that prompted a look back on a career that included advocacy on many fronts. In 2017, Arthur Duncan was reunited with Betty White on Little Big Shots: Forever Young (pictured above) and later in 2018, contributed to PBSs Betty White: First Lady of Television documentary film. Arthur even became the first African-American regular on a variety show when he appeared on The Lawrence Welk Show for almost 20 years. I was on the show, and they had some letters out of Mississippi and elsewhere that some of the stations would not carry the show if I was permitted to stay on there, the then-83-year-old said. Over 60 years later,Whiteand Duncan were reunited on Little Big Shots: Forever Young to Duncans surprise. In a 2018 documentary honoring Bettys illustrious career, Arthur said, I credit Betty White for really getting me started in show business, in television. Betty herself wasnt blind to the outrage, but she wouldnt let the commotion, or as she said, the ruckus sway her in the least. Duncan later toured with Bob Hope and appeared on The Lawrence Welk Show for nearly two decades. Betty White was in 'great spirits' while filming final TV appearance. tude.cmd.push(function() { Entrepreneurs Summit } Arthur admits that Betty helped get him the kind of exposure that really launched his career. White . CNN . Betty Marion White (January 17, 1922 - December 31, 2021) was an American actress and comedian. ': Betty White's quips and quotes through the years. Arthur said, "She . as well as other partner offers and accept our. "I'm. Arthur Duncan, who is currently 87 years old, is an African-American tap dancer and entertainer. Goodbye to Betty White, popular cultures beloved (and saucy) great-grandma. When she was encouraged to take him off because of the color of his skin, she politely declined.. Simply put, if people like her hadnt raised their voices and resisted hatred and ignorance, our world wouldnt have been the same. It has since been updated. She had helped secure his first television job on her variety show 'The Betty White Show' and wasn't going to give in to the mob even if there was considerable opposition to it.