Eartha Kitt was nothing short of an icon, she was crowned the “most exciting woman on earth”
just at the beginning of her career and never fell short of that title. She was unapologetically
herself and did not conform or twist herself to become any less than who she desired herself to
be. She had great pride in her community and stood up for the mutual respect of all peoples.
She didn’t fear being reproached or excluded if it meant she could speak the truth and defend
others. Due to this fearless advocacy, she was eventually blacklisted from the US for almost a
decade but her return was even grander. She especially poured herself into the youth and
provided them opportunities to express themselves through the arts and commended them
publicly as models for the adult “do-gooders”. Eartha was a tremendous example for me to get
out of my shell and to not let others dictate my story as a teen; to take my challenges and see
them as opportunities of growth. When asked if she wanted to be a political figure due to her
speaking up for the people, her wise response was,”I’m a human being, I’m an American citizen,
I happen to love this country and I know we have our struggles, but we fight them from the
inside of the country and I think that when we start fighting each other, then we are
self-destructive”. We should continue uplifting and pouring ourselves into the community to
better not only ourselves but the people we love and who are around us. When we fail to do so,
we fail ourselves and others.