She was known as Eartha Mae born in the small town of North in the The Palmetto State
Her childhood was even a mystery that she wished to forget from suffering abuse and neglect all because of her skin color - a light pale complexion - commonly referred as "yella"
She was of fair complexion due to the racial mix of African-American, European, and Cherokee Native American descent
Eartha was poorly treated and abandoned by others till she was saved by a Good Samaritan and taken to New York
Nurtured and raised into the Big Apple flair, she flourished and sprouted like flowers from the Earth
Charismatic and mysterious, she was like her name - spiritual and intuitive, she had a deep connection to the Great Mother (Earth)
The elements on Earth resided within her
Earth is the body, Water set in blood, Air is in the breath, and Fire ruled a free spirit
As a dancer with the legendary teacher, Katherine Dunham, who motivated the shy young girl to blossom and shine
She learned new languages and traveled to far and wide exotic places soaking up foreign cultures and faces
She was always searching for love and acceptance and enjoyed it though short and brief until she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl that she affectionately named Kitt
Eartha's life was now complete now that she had her child - someone to cherish and love
Both were different as night and day but their love ran deeper and stronger than skin - everyone noticed the powerful bond that couldn't be severed
Eartha had a subtle sensuality with a rich silky velvet speaking voice that turned vibrant, versatile, and passionate whenever she sang
A commanding powerful stage presence with a royal and noble aura - she possessed the carriage of a divinely queen
Outspoken and bold, she was not afraid to tell the truth - it nearly cost her career and left her exiled out of America until her triumphant return to Broadway in 1978, when she performed in the play, Timbuktu!
Her career was resurrected and skyrocketed once more and led her to many more places and open doors bringing fans from old generations and new, the queen had returned and was living life rich and fully
A strong social activist, she fought racism and injustice bringing unity and peace in numerous subtle ways from dance to social causes, she was admired and loved for being different and a vocal advocate for the outcast and rejected
On Christmas Day 2008, she left the world behind with Kitt by her side
Although she's gone, she will never be forgotten - her legacy lives on in her music and lives she touched
Farewell, Eartha Kitt
The official nickname for South Carolina is The Palmetto State, referring to the state tree (the sabal palmetto).
Eartha Mae Kitt is Eartha Kitt's real name
"Yella"(High yellow) is a negative term depicting any light skinned black as "golden and fairskinned". It is a color reference to the golden skin tone of some mixed-race people. The term was in common use in the United States at the end of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century, but is now considered obsolete and sometimes offensive.
Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the world."
Kitt keeps her mother's legacy alive with the home decor business, Simply Eartha, in her way to honor her mother's memory
