Eartha Kitt's Daughter Kitt Shapiro Discusses Lessons Her Mom Taught Her Regarding Race In Interview

Jan 18, 2022

Eartha Kitt was an absolute legend. She was known for her beautifully distinctive singing style, as well as for her work as a singer, dancer, and activist. While many people may remember her for her stunning rendition of the Christmas song “Santa Baby,” her talents were unlimited. Kitt also appeared as Catwoman in the television series “Batman” as well as lent her voice to animated series such as the Disney show “The Emperor’s New Groove.”

Kitt was born on Jan. 17, 1927, in South Carolina. Her mother was of Cherokee and African descent, and Kitt had little knowledge of her father. She was known for having a more pale complexion as a woman of color – something that she later discussed with her own daughter, Kitt Shapiro. Kitt married John William McDonald in 1960 and welcomed their daughter the following year.

While it’s evident that Kitt was a talented and highly successful woman, she is still recognized for being such a shining example of what it means to be a role model. Shapiro talked about some of the lessons about race she learned from her famous mother in her book “Eartha and Kitt,” which was released in 2021. 

Just like how her mother was told she didn’t look Black enough in the 1920s, Shapiro continues to receive similar comments today as a blonde and light-skinned woman. In the book, Shapiro discussed what it means to be the daughter of a Black woman and the hardships she faced as she tried to navigate her own identity. Most of all, she talked about what it means for her to carry on her mother’s legacy and words of wisdom.

Speaking with Madame Noire in May 2021, Shapiro opened up about her choice to write the book about her mother titled “Eartha and Kitt,” and why it felt like it was finally the right time to do so. The book paints a clear picture of what Kitt was like as a mother and the travels they took together. Shapiro also talked about learning some valuable lessons about race from her mother.

“I think emotionally it took time for me to come to terms with the fact that I am the way that her voice continues, in so many ways,” Shapiro said. “Her films, her music and her television that all lives on but who she was as a person, I am the connection to that.”

Shapiro talked about how people told her that there was no way she was Kitt’s biological child, as she doesn’t “look anything like her,” and that her “skin’s not dark enough.” She added, “The sad part is that I do look like her. Genetics are a funny thing and there’s nothing I can do about that. There’s nothing anyone can do about the way they were born."

Kitt was a woman who believed that everyone was part of the human race. “You either break every rule or you fill every quota,” Shapiro said, recounting her mother’s words. She continued:

“I knew how much I looked like her. We used to sit in the mirror and stare and point out our features…. My father is as lily white as they came so it never shocked me. I never thought I looked different.”

However, that changed for Shapiro when the family visited South Africa in the early 1970s when her mother went there to perform and raise money for Black children for school. “And that was the first time I remember being treated differently because of my skin tone,” Shapiro said. “Even though my mother was a VIP and was allowed to go anywhere, there were a few times when the person didn’t recognize my mother and I was told I could come in and my mother was asked to leave.”

This wasn’t the only time that Kitt wasn’t recognized or allowed somewhere based on what she looked like, as she had always been kicked out of an amusement park. Shapiro explained how the owner was embarrassed after finding out and wanted to do something to make it up to Kitt.

Shapiro recalled:

“And she said, ‘Well, I’m raising money to build schools so your money, a check would be very much appreciated. And my daughter would really like to come back with her friends.’ And he gave us the tickets and my mother brought a group of children who were all different races. That was how she felt that you could affect change… That to me, expressing and parlaying who she was as a human being, that strength that she had – it wasn’t about being fearless. It was about following your gut and listening to your heart and not compromising yourself for anybody else.”

Shapiro added, “She was so real and vulnerable. What you saw is what you got. I think that authenticity is what her fans and her public got from her. That was an incredible gift we had put on this earth, this woman whose name was Eartha.”

What do you think about the lessons Kitt Shapiro learned from her mother, Eartha Kitt? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones, too.