Wendell Pierce criticizes landlord who rejected his rental offer: ‘Racism and bigots are real’

Wendell Pierce defends his “righteous anger” about racism and describes a personal situation in which he says he was denied an apartment because of his race.

The award-winning actor has appeared on countless Broadway stages and starred in iconic TV shows like “The Wire,” but said Monday that he was still rejected as a potential tenant of a New York City apartment complex — in gentrifying Harlem.

“For those of you who do not understand my righteous anger;” Pierce wrote on X on Monday, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “I’m in two TV series, ELSBETH and RAISING KANAN. I’m filming SUPERMAN. Two years ago I completed the fourth season of JACK RYAN.”

“Last year I finished a run on Broadway in DEATH OF A SALESMAN,” he continued. “Even with my proof of employment, bank statements and real estate holdings, a white apartment owner denied my application to rent the apartment… in Harlem, of all places. Racism and bigots are real.”

“The Wire,” which launched Pierce’s career, famously tackled systemic racism and political corruption.

The actor argued on social media on Monday that some people just want to “destroy the journey of Black people in life.” He used his experience as an example of the ongoing problem of racism after an appeals court blocked investments in businesses owned by black women.

Pierce shared a Wall Street Journal article Monday on X on the blocking of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling Fearless Fundan Atlanta-based investment firm that seeks to combat economic inequality by implementing a grant program for Black women.

The ruling sided with Edward Blum, a conservative litigant who opposed diversity efforts such as affirmative action, who argued that considering race violates Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 – which was passed. to protect former slaves from discrimination in the first place.

“It sickens me, you son of a bitch, how far you will go to destroy our ability to live our lives in peace and prosperity,” Pierce wrote on X. “Attacked in schools, attacked by police, attacked for expecting to live up to the values ​​of this country, and attacked when they were successful in business.” The actor criticized conservatives who claim to support fewer governments but then meddle in the lives of minorities.

His comments have sparked conversation on social media about prejudices based on skin color – and Pierce discussed his lease rejection and the lawsuit on Tuesday on CNN.

“While I appreciate the response to my own personal experience with housing discrimination, I only mentioned it as an example of the insidious nature of bigotry,” he wrote on X. “This court decision is much more disturbing and damaging. A CALL TO ACTION.”