And it only escalated after NBC rolled out the show nationally, with Southern viewers threatening to boycott the network if White didnt remove Duncan from the lineup. FLASHBACK: Lawrence Welk star Arthur Duncan credits Betty White for his Oborfacts What can i say? Betty White (1954), (Bettmann/contributor/Getty images) . Betty White: 8 Fascinating Things To Know About Her Life And Work When she was encouraged to take him offbecause of the color of his skin,she politely declined. kw: 'mandc,celebrity,entertainment-industry,racism', Her response: "I'm sorry. Duncan, who is black, was on the show when it went national and southern states started complaining about his inclusion in the show. I rehearsed with a choral group thats going to do Christmas carols this Christmas., Oh, wonderful, White said. Women of Power Summit Duncan was featured on the show at least three times. 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. pos: 'right_rail_2', 'She Truly Was an Original': Stars Remember Betty White - Rolling Stone We bring people together, change perceptions, and inspire actions that impact culture for good. It's been claimed that Duncan's fixed role on "The Betty White Show" as a singer and dancer meant he was the first Black American to have a regular appearance on a TV variety show. url: 'betty,whites,controversial,hire,of,tap,dancer,arthur,duncan,made,history,in,more,ways,than,one', She extended his airtime instead, and responded to racists with "I'm sorry. Wish Day | The Betty White Show (1954) Ft. Arthur Duncan 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. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center on Twitter But this story is true. }); EVENTS About Betty White, 99, gives health update in rare interview after fans fear The comedian was a legend through and through: when faced with the overwhelming pressure to give in to hate, she resisted and won. In 1957, Duncan joined Bob Hope's troupe touring U.S. military bases, making him the first African American to be part of that 100-member group. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Given that White and Duncan both corroborated this story in the documentary, we rate this claim as True.. Listen to Betty White. CNN . Duncan reserved high praise for White during an appearance in a 2018 documentary about her titled 'Betty White: First Lady of Television.' However, it was during an appearance on Steve Harveys show Little Big Shots: Forever Young in 2017 that Duncan felt truly blessed when Betty White surprised him onstage. "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," said Duncan during an episode of 'Steve Harvey's Little Big Shots: Forever Young' in 2017. If there is content shared on this platform that you feel infringes on your intellectual property, please email me at Reelblack@mail.com and info@reelblack.com with details and it will be promptly removed. You never ask me out." After MLKs home was bombed, he refused to back down: This movement will not stop, The brave, forgotten Kansas lunch counter sit-in that helped change America, Sam Howell is the Commanders first-string QB for now, Nationals relievers see benefit in tinkering with new pitches, Kyle Kuzma, Wizards start fast and dont look back in win over Raptors. Betty White dead: 'SNL,' Robert Redford, Anderson Cooper mourn - USA TODAY Betty White obituary | US television | The Guardian pos: 'right_rail_1', A long and successful career followed, including several film and TV appearances. ). But the stage kept calling, and he eventually dropped out to pursue tap dancing full time. The comedian passed away on December 31, 2021, just weeks away from what would have been her 100th birthday. You never call. Born on Sept. 25, 1933, in Pasadena, California, Arthur Duncan gravitated to the life of a performer from a very young age. Betty White, whose more than 80-year career included Emmy-winning roles on sitcoms "The Golden Girls" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," died on Dec. 31. White had already spent years trying to break into film and TV and eventually managed to become a co-host of the Hollywood on Film talk show in 1949 and left only to launch her own company. Subscribe to Newsletter Arthur Duncan became the first Black regular on a televised American variety show. The show. "I did something a little. Duncan started touring with The Jimmie Rodgers Show and performing on Betty White's 1954 . The special is called Betty White: First Lady of Television. Betty White broke barriers, defied expectations, served her country, and pushed us all to laugh. as well as other partner offers and accept our. TIL that, in 1954, Betty White was criticized for having Arthur Duncan "I'm sorry, but, you know, he stays," White said,according to a PBS biography. White was briefly married to U.S. army pilot Dick Barker in 1945.Two years later, White wed Hollywood agent Lane Allen, whom she divorced in 1949. 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. She treated Arthur like a friend and fought tooth and nail to have him on her show. This, along with his earlier inclusion (despite objections) on The Betty White Show in 1954 and with the help of White herself, made him the first African-American regular on a . Betty White: . 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. Kindness and consideration of somebody besides yourself keeps you feeling young. Fans mourn Betty White on social media - ajc When Steve Harvey asked Arthur what it was like to see his old friend, he joked, Im ready to go now. But before God could take him, Arthur wanted to catch up with Betty first. In the early 1950s, White faced criticism for featuring Arthur Duncan, a Black tap dancer and singer, on a few episodes of her variety talk show The Betty White Show.. Live with it." and gave Duncan more airtime. And he got his start in no small part thanks to Betty White. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. So it was a minor coup when Betty White got her own show in 1954 with full creative control. Reunited with White on "Little Big Shots," Duncan reignited trademark banter they used to have on her show. BLACK ENTERPRISE is the premier business, investing, and wealth-building resource for African Americans. In 2010, the Forest Service made Betty White an honorary forest ranger. "Well, Betty wrote back and said, 'Needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could.'" But there was never a question at all., I said, Im sorry, but, you know, he stays, she said. she bluntly told those that brought the matter to her, reported PEOPLE. The comedian had a natural affinity towards animals, particularly elephants and gorillas. I did something a little different, Duncan told her. In December 1957, he became the first Black man to join Bob Hopes 100-member troupe to tour U.S. military bases worldwide. Copywriter by day, true crime enthusiast by night - she has a passion for uncovering perspectives that capture the full spectrum of human nature. Privacy Policy But just who is Arthur Duncan and why did his appearance on The Betty White Show cause such controversy at the time? Her respond to pressure to stop featuring him was that people had to "live with it." The show was Duncan's first big break in the business and helped launch his career. Have something to tell us about this article? It was a big opportunity for Arthur, who turned it into a career in show business that has lasted more than 60 years. subcat: '', In 1954, Betty White was criticized after having Arthur Duncan - iFunny Underwood said Duncan was her inspiration for tap dancing. Her respond to pressure to stop featuring him was that people had to "live with it.". If White, 99, had it her way, she would have remained at her longtime marital home in Carmel, which she first built with her late husband, Allen Ludden, when they bought the land in 1978. Still, as the only Black cast member, the show also posed a unique risk to Duncan, according to dance historian Constance Valis Hill: In an era in which blacks and whites did not even hold hands, let alone kiss each other on nationally broadcast television programs, Duncan was often seen standing in the background, trying very hard not to look like he was with any of the women on the program.. "Her response: 'I'm sorry. "The first TV show I had ever been on, and I credit Betty White for really getting me started in show business, in television," he said. tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { Betty White holds the record for "longest television career of any female or male entertainer." She is older than sliced bread. White's death, at the age of 99, was announced on Friday. When Harvey asked what Duncan thought about seeing White again, he jokedGod, I think I am ready to go now., Sports world reacts: Athletes, sports celebrities recall 'national treasure' Betty White, Celebrities mourn loss: Robert Redford shares his affection for Betty White, 'I had a crush on her, too! You can empower others simply by speaking up when the opportunity arises. "In 1954, #BettyWhite was criticized after having Arthur Duncan, a Black tap dancer, on her show," The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center tweeted after her death. "I'm sorry. subcat: '', . However, Betty White wasnt always such a universally loved figure as the cancellation of The Betty White Show in 1954 goes to show. div_id: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-3', Part of her show would feature a young Black entertainer by the name of Arthur Duncan. I hope we have a chance to visit after this is over., Oh, I hope so. You never call. That year, 1954, also saw the Supreme Court handing make the Brown vs. Board of Education decision which banned segregated schools. Betty White spent over seven decades in front and behind the camera. Black Men XCEL But her decision to defy conventional norms and balk at Southern naysayers allowed Duncan to go one to make history at least twice more. She just prioritized building earnest relationships with people, and if progress came as a result, no problem. The cancellation of her variety and talk show came after a huge backlash surrounding the appearance of Arthur Duncan. Contact Betty White received criticism for having Duncan as a tap dancer in her own show The Betty White Show (1954). Television was a relatively new medium, but White was a veteran from stage and radio. 1. When Betty White Refused to Bow to Racists Over Dancer Arthur Duncan Betty didnt let her age hamper her ability to empathize with others, even if they were of a completely different background than her. The world is still mourning the immense loss of Betty White. In a heartening example of life coming full circle, 55-year-old Arthur Duncan was still tap-dancing when the son of his former mentor approached him with a project. She deploys language as a way to connect with her audience and empower them to take action. 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. The show was a daytime talk show that also featured ente. Duncan performed alongside stars like actress Jayne Mansfield, singer Jerry Colonna, comedian Hedda Hopper, and the Les Brown orchestra in places like Pearl Harbor, Korea, Okinawa, and Guam. 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. She pledged her support for same-sex marriage, saying, If a couple has been together all that time and there are gay relationships that are more solid than some heterosexual ones I think its fine if they want to get married. Additionally, she didnt understand how some people could be anti-something. She was a proponent of minding her business, standing up for the oppressed, and carving her unique place in the culture through entertainment. According to the 2018 PBS documentary, Betty White: First Lady of Television, (available on Netflix) Duncan credited White for his first big break. The almost-centenarian was an icon in every sense of the word: with a career spanning eighty years, she marked a turning point for women in entertainment. Some facts about Betty White . Duncan was already a regular on the show which featured performances by White and others, interviews, skits and even a kids segment before it was added to NBCs national lineup in 1954. In 1954, #BettyWhite was criticized after having Arthur Duncan, a Black tap dancer, on her show. baseDivId: 'pb-slot-right-1', Well, Betty wrote back and said, Needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could. Racial justice wasnt the only focus of her activism, either. 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. From left to right: Arthur Duncan, director Dean Hargrove, actor Norman LLoyd, and cinematographer Stephen Poster at a screening of, Arthur Duncan (left) and Betty White (seated) at their reunion on Steve Harveys, how Hattie McDaniel became the first Black Oscar winner, the first African-American photographers and their portraits. 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. Arthur admits that Betty helped get him the kind of exposure that really launched his career. The 98-year-old actress is loved by almost all and has had an unbelievably successful career spanning more than eight decades. Little Big Shots: Forever Young airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC. (Video: Reuters). Arthur Duncan, Barrier-Breaking Tap Dancer, Is Dead at 97 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. Shaoni Das is a writer based out of Alberta, Canada. tag: 'mandc,celebrity,entertainment-industry,racism', He told her, I hope we have a chance to visit after this is over. And without missing a beat, Betty replied, Oh, I hope so. Duncan recalled the furor and the actor backing him during those testing times. on her eponymous talk show in 1954 . You never ask me out," per People. It was also the year segregation in public schools was declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. Betty White served as both host and producer. # ThankYouForBeingAFriend 11:37 AM - 31 Dec 2021 10,874 Retweets 54,906 Likes Barack and I join so many around the world who will miss the joy she brought to the world. The Betty White Showwas a spinoff of KTLA variety show Hollywood on Television, which White joined in 1949. Arthur Duncan - Wikipedia 2023 deaths in the United States - Wikipedia Arthur Duncan From 'Lawrence Welk' Thanks Betty White For His Career See, back in 1954 Betty White served as the host and producer of The Betty White Show, a comedic variety show that was geared toward families and entertainment. But by the early 1980s, when The Lawrence Welk Show finally went off the air, that era was over. We wouldnt have been the same. 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. This is a tremendous loss," tap-dancing legend Arthur Duncan tells Rolling Stone. After the Pacific tour, Duncan spent several years performing at countless venues across Europe. His reply to her that they would be performing at local hospitals and orphanages was as wholesome as the beloved actress and entertainer, who died this week at 99. Supervising Producer, Yahoo Entertainment, Arthur Duncan, an 83-year-old tap dancer, was on the premiere of, It was a big opportunity for Arthur, who turned it into a career in show business that has lasted more than 60 years. "The Betty White Show" was short-lived, repeatedly rescheduled and eventually taken off air, per the Post. Getty Images. Her show was cancelled afterwards. Its because of people like her we were able to push the needle forward in terms of racial and gender equality. This soon led to the show's cancellation. Tap dancer Arthur Duncan was first introduced to national audiences by Betty White in 1954 before making history as the first Black performer on The Lawrence Welk Show. Since 1970, BLACK ENTERPRISE has provided essential business information and advice to professionals, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and decision makers. 3. She just stood up for her beliefs, said Duncan. 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. Im ready to go now, he morbidly joked as White approached. Live with . She made sure to strengthen causes that needed backing, those that required people to break the mold and upset the masses. There's no knowing if her putting her foot down on Duncan staying on had any role in the show being repeatedly rescheduled for different time slots before eventually being taken off the air that same year. Deal with it and gave Duncan more airtime. tag: 'mandc,celebrity,entertainment-industry,racism', NBC first aired in 1954. White continued to resist the pressurecoming from stations in the South and used Duncanmore, until the show was canceled in 1954 the same year segregationin public schools was declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. The dancer, Arthur Duncan, was featured on "The Betty White Show" that aired in the 1950s. } Arthur first appeared on The Betty White Show in 1954. url: 'betty,whites,controversial,hire,of,tap,dancer,arthur,duncan,made,history,in,more,ways,than,one', Over 60 years later,Whiteand Duncan were reunited on Little Big Shots: Forever Young to Duncans surprise. Arthur Duncan - "Sing You Sinners,Sing" (1954) - YouTube By the 1960s, White had made many appearances on television game shows. It didnt take long for the programs eponymous host to offer Duncan a permanent place in the shows musical family.. Watch clips and full episodes of Little Big Shots for free on Yahoo View. Betty White, to put it simply, is a national. 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. Arthur even became the first African-American regular on a variety show when he appeared on The Lawrence Welk Show for almost 20 years. Duncan went on to have alustrouscareer inshow business and gained fame for being the first Black performer on The Lawrence Welk Show,according to The Library of Congress. "I said, 'I'm sorry, but he staysLive with it!'" Lets take a moment to honor the First Lady of Television and what her progressiveness meant to those watching at home. Arthur said, "She . In 2020, the American Tap Dance Foundation inducted Duncan into the International Tap Dance Hall of Fame. Sometimes this involved putting her own reputation on the line, and still, she didnt back down. In other news, One Piece episode 1054 delayed, new release date confirmed.