A Black actor recently spoke out against diversity hiring practices in the workplace, calling them an "insult."
In a lengthy post on X, formerly Twitter, Clifton Duncan detailed his story as an up-and-coming actor and how after 2020 he spoke with a friend who asked if he thinks being Black had anything to do with his success.
"That uncertainty gets to the heart of my issue with diversity hiring," Duncan wrote. "On one hand I'm certain I benefited due to my skin color. It's nice that people were looking to boost minorities like me. On the other hand people of all races have been in my corner since I was 16—long before "Wokeness" emerged. Everyone predicted I had a long career ahead of me, and I fulfilled that promise.
"And that's why I reject 'Diversity' hiring: I never needed it. It's an insult to any minority with a shred of self-respect. It casts a shadow over all I've done, because I'm not sure how much of my success is due to me, and how much is due to white guilt."
The post comes amid ongoing conversations surrounding diversity hiring practices that prompted an online argument between X CEO Elon Musk and Dallas Mavericks part-owner Mark Cuban. Musk recently criticized a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) hiring effort made by United Airlines resulting in a response from Cuban and an ongoing argument between the two over the past few days.
In his post, Duncan explained that he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree "from the finest acting conservatory in the US," that accepts only 2 percent of applicants. According to his IMDB profile, Duncan attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond for his undergraduate degree and then was admitted to New York University's graduate program at the Tisch School of the Arts.
"I secured a great agent and was taking meetings with major casting directors before even finishing the program. Over the span of 10 years I managed to build a body of work spanning everything from musical comedy to Shakespearean tragedy," Duncan wrote. "I was working with stars, scoring award nominations, and winning praise from industry legends [including the late Stephen Sondheim—a moment I'll cherish forever]."
Duncan's IMDB profile shows he has starred in the 2020 film Estella Scrooge: A Christmas Carol with a Twist, and several shows such as The Good Fight, NCIS: New Orleans, Elementary and Proven Innocent.
Newsweek reached out to Duncan via email and social media for comment.
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Matthew Impelli is a Newsweek staff writer based in New York. His focus is reporting social issues and crime. In ... Read more
