In 1954, a spirited tap dancer named Arthur Duncan appeared on several episodes of “The Betty White Show,” a daytime talk series hosted by the future Golden Girl. Duncan’s skilled footwork delighted ...

Betty White rejected attempts to keep Black dancer Arthur Duncan off her show in the 1950s. Her respond to pressure to stop featuring him was that people had to "live with it." The show was Duncan's ...

Arthur Duncan, who kept tap dancing visible and relevant across the country on television when most had relegated it to the past and who also broke ground as a Black entertainer, has died at 97.

In a time where segregation was at the forefront of American issues, Betty White rejected attempts to keep a Black dancer off her show. The dancer, Arthur Duncan, was featured on “The Betty White Show ...

Betty White, also known as the “First Lady of Television,” wore many hats, as a comedian, a talk show host, an actress, and more. But one heartwarming story about her principled stand in supporting a ...

In 2017, Betty White reunited with then 83-year-old tap dancer Arthur Duncan, whom she had helped secure his first television job on her variety show The Betty White Show more than six decades prior ...

One of the first Black regulars on a TV variety show, he brought tap to millions of viewers on “The Lawrence Welk Show” after Betty White gave him his first big break. By Richard Sandomir Arthur ...

As the world mourns actress and comedienne Betty White, who passed away on Dec. 31, many are discovering or being reminded of the way she broke TV barriers with tap dancer Arthur Duncan. But her ...

“Arthur, did you have a nice weekend?” Betty White asked Arthur Duncan. The entertainer, in her early 30s at the time, was center stage, speaking to the young Black tap dancer seated on her right. “I ...

Betty White has rightfully been remembered fondly for many aspects of her legendary career ever since she died at the age of 99 on New Year’s Eve, just weeks shy of her 100th birthday. One such reason ...

Every time Marianne publishes a story, you’ll get an alert straight to your inbox! Enter your email By clicking “Sign up”, you agree to receive emails from ...