She was conceived by rape in the late 1920s; born on a cotton plantation to a mother who abandoned her; raised by numerous foster parents during the worst economic depression the country has ever experienced, and yet Eartha Mae Kitt went on achieve more in her lifetime than most people care to know. Sure, there was the dancing and the acting, but did you know she spoke four different languages, could sing in seven different languages, recorded "Santa Baby" in 1953, and made anti-war statements during a luncheon inside the White House in 1968? About that… Kitt was invited to a White House luncheon where she was asked by Lady Bird Johnson herself for her thoughts on the Vietnam War. Kitt replied: "You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed. No wonder the kids rebel and take pot" (her remarks reportedly caused the First Lady to burst into tears). Born Eartha Mae Keith near the town of North, S.C., on Jan. 17, 1927, Kitt began her entertainment career as a member of the Katherine Dunham Company in 1943, an experience that lasted five years and launched her career in both acting and singing. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, she performed for sold-out crowds in cabarets and nightclubs throughout the U.S. and abroad. In 1955 she starred in the Broadway play "Mrs. Patterson," earning a Tony nomination for her performance. Kitt also starred in several movies during this period, and earned an Oscar nomination for her 1959 role in "Anna Lucasta". In 1960 Kitt was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Later in the decade she was widely known for her role as Catwoman in the television series "Batman". Eartha Mae Kitt's life was rich and full, to say the least. Learn all about it by reading her entry on BlackPast (link: bit.ly/Eartha-Mae-Kitt), and please Like & Share this post if you do.
