Struggles that she may not have had to experience due to her appearance. And thats an incredible gift and blessing. Her daughter, Kitt Shapiro, explained how this missing piece of her identity was a great source of pain and shaped her connection with the South. Live on for you and your loved ones. By the way you are just as beautiful as your mother. MN: What would you like people to learn about your mother from this book? People are always more impressed with celebrity than they are with being prejudice. Eartha Kitt with daughter Kitt Shapiro A bedtime story my mother often read to me The Sneetches, by Dr Seuss. I know you know youre her daughter. you are as beautiful as your mother was and its all about love ,not color.She would be very proud of what you are doing and how a lovely family you have. ?". The two always travelled together throughout Eartha Kitt's career, who later moved to Connecticut to be close to her . I was surprised to see that she indeed birthed a daughter with no striking physical resemblance to her but still beautiful none the less. Bottom line, embrace the irreplaceable and very unique you. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories. I often wonder if Eartha ever mentioned my mother (Rebecca). See what she had to say below. Given away by her mother, she arrived in Harlem at age nine. Assuming that is just plain ignorant. Brava and preach on!! Kitt, I am a fan of yours as well as of your mother for many, many years! Shapiro's new memoir, "When I think of . As a little girl, thats what you do with your mother. ! But my mothers methods were so much more subtle and impactful in so many ways. she is not a yella Bone her make up yes but she wasnt yella she a brown skin. What a nice lesson your mom taught you and through you, us. Her films, her music and her television that all lives on but who she was as a person, I am the connection to that. It does come with a lot of stuff. Love this post! Unfortunately we met long before internet and although I did attend another of her concerts in HK a few years later I regret never having the chance to meet Ertha again to thank her for the great memories and her kindness. However, contrary to what many believed, Shapiro revealed that some of the relationships had been strictly platonic. He took him from her off the reservation so he never knew who she was but he did knowwhere he came from. She stood up and she left, very calmly. Old Woman Disinherits Her Children after She Overhears Them Arguing in the Hospital Room Story of the Day, Minnie Riperton Took Last Breath in Her Husband's Arms at 31 Inside Their Interracial Marriage, John Travolta's Late Wife Kelly Got Pregnant at 47 & Risked Her Life to Carry Her 'Miracle' Baby, On Her Wedding Day, Woman Gets Hundreds of Letters from Her Late Mom 23 Years after Her Death Story of the Day, Loretta Lynn Fought for Her Beloved Husband Though He Called Other Women into Their Bed, Sister Offers to Carry Her Long-Lost Brother's Children with the Blessing of Her Pastor Husband, 'I Can't Believe I Actually Found You! I never thought of Eartha Kitt as a light skinned black woman either. In this country, out of ignorance, they classified folks White or Negro in early 1900s and before. Most African Americans are multi racial (mostly Irish mixed with Africans in the 1800s and 1900s) so having a baby with a White person generally makes the kids whiter than they would be with any other group. Categorising people is so tiresome and boring. Eartha Kitt with a young Kitt Shapiro. She supported Martin Luther King Jr., and advocated for women's rights and the LGBTQ community. Kitt Shapiro: No. She raised a wonderful daughter and shes looking down purring like a cat and loving it. To Kitt.. have you tried to contact any family in North, SC. Eartha perhaps taught Shapiro this critical life lesson because she struggled with trying to find out about her paternal ancestry. "Santa Baby" by Eartha Kitt It was 1973-74 and it was obviously during Apartheid. As a light skinned African American in the South, in 1927, she was labeled a Yella Gal, too light to be accepted by the black community and too dark for the whites. My mother did get chance to see Ms.Kitt in the 9os in Columbia South Carolina for some type of celebration, where she signed a dollar bill for my mother, but did not remember her. And that was the first time I remember being treated differently because of my skin tone. Hugs! Eartha Kitt's only child is Kitt Shapiro What was eartha kitt's. Shes a white woman. But did that bother you growing up? I just want you to know you are amazing and beautiful. Was Eartha Kitt adopted? DNA is a funny thing, I have 2 to bi-racial friends, ones mom is white.shes darker than my friend whos mom is black..In the end it really doesnt matter.theyre both beautiful. Hmmmm. The snap saw Shapiro dressed in an orange-colored winter jacket, which she paired with a beanie and sunglasses. Kitt McDonald Shapiro, who wrote a personal essay about her famous mother that was published by. Your mother is one of my heros unapologetically who she was. Even as a five-year-old, I always wondered why the henchmen were taking orders from the other CatWomen. Now, Im not looking to start a debate about genetics. xo. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. On seeing that the name had been crossed out, Eartha broke into tears, and according to Shapiro, the music legend carried the scar of rejection for the entirety of her life. And that is the Gods own truth. This person Truth needs to rethink his or her words once thrown out into the universe, they may come back to him/her absolutely noone, including Truth benefits from these terrible comments which cause pain to the intended recipient as well as to anyone reading the comments, particularly just before the holidays when we all reminisce about our childhoods and the past. You cant hide DNA and you cant fake it. Eartha, who was a mix of Black, Cherokee, and white, is viewed by the world as Black. | Photo: Getty Images. More information Mixed Race Babies- Mom: Hmong Dad: Irish, German, African American & Native American Persaya - 2 Years More like this Cute Kids Cute Babies Troco Likes Mixed Race Precious Gifts Caucasian If I had to categorize my self I am Creole American , so my children can range in color from darkest of brown to the lightest. I think people think that she was glamorous all the time. In this week's new issue of Closer Weekly, Eartha Kitt's daughter Kitt McDonald Shapiro reminisces about her late mother in an exclusively written first-person essay. Genetics are a funny thing and theres nothing I can do about that. We are both kind, gentle, generous , caring and talented. I had traveled the world and was quite sophisticated but it never even occurred to me that my mother and I would be thought of as different until that moment. And though the world viewed her as Black, she. While Eartha Kitt was a victim of racism many times, her daughter happily speaks as an advocate for her late mother, whom she values as a very huge role model in her life even though she's not there. I really do. Kitt also revealed that despite speculation that her mother had a romantic relationship with James Dean, they were just very good friends who shared a deep connection. Eartha Kitt passed away on Christmas Day 2008, never knowing her father's name. And not that it really masters because your Mom will always be one of the worlds most beloved and controversial Entertainers, but you can complete both your legacies by publishing your DNA journey!. In 1998, she was in tears when upon getting a hold of her original birth certificate, she saw her fathers name had been blacked out. The Bank got the pick up arrangements horribly wrong and your Mum missed the start. That to me, expressing and parlaying who she was as a human being, that strength that she hadit wasnt about being fearless. It was about following your gut and listening to your heart and not compromising yourself for anybody else. She wasnt going to go quietly. The fact that you are biracial has really nothing to do with the resemblance or lack thereof, just more of an observation. We as Blacks are quick to use color as a beauty standard. While adding a caption, Shapiro wrote: "A mom and her babes. Since Shapiro is more fair-skinned than Kitt (her father is white). That was a very ignorant statement to say that Eartha Kitt doesnt resemble that of a biracial person. Ill just enjoin you, truth, to please leave the DNA analyses to better folks at 23 & me, or NAT GEO, or Ancestry.com who I am positive Kitt could (if she wished to) confirm Eartha as her biological mother, and her Father being her Father, not that she has need to, other than for her own genealogy or medical history reasons. She was her given name, Eartha. He has received several awards including a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Satellite Award. Christopher Polk/ACMA2012/Getty Images for ACM. How may children did eartha kitt have? The world-famous singer came from a dirt-poor background and only found out her date of birth when she was 71. In a 2014 blog post titled "Why don't you look like your mother," written by Shapiro, she discussed how Eartha had taught her to always be confident in her skin despite the racial identity conflict that might arise. I am glad my parents always pointed out that skin color shouldnr play a role in who I associated myself with. She would ask, Why was it so important to make a person feel like they werent wanted by anybody if they didnt fit required specifications? Why couldnt an entertainer just BE who they were? Why wasnt it enough to be a member of the human race?. black entertainment news, parenting tips and beauty secrets that are specifically for black women. She do not look mixed and neither do you! You all need to have your heads examined. Also that she doesnt take for granted her mothers struggles as a black woman in America and in Hollywood. SMH. Theyre not making any more of it. Thats where her strength really was. She was horribly abused in the South. You actually do look a lot like your mother. Is that just another way of saying, why is your skin color so much lighter? or how is it you have blond hair?. Both mother and daughter are beautiful, and more importantly, wise to what actually matters. Bookmarked. As a teenager, young adult, thats not always easy. But Kitt was much more than her sex-kitten image. But by the time I was born, my mother was already very famous. Not that it really matters, but I believe she a brilliant yet trouble entertainer, who perpetuated the myth that she was a Tragic Mulatto, too light, bright and damn near white, had no family and belong to no race. Your childhood pics are of a little WHITE girl..not a biracial girl. Now her daughter is speaking out about the loving relationship she shared with the screen icon. Apart from Rachel, Kitt also has a son, Jason, who registers more as white like her. and then imagine being a mom whose child looks so different! Kitt started her vocation with the Katherine Dunham Organization in 1943 and remained with the gathering until the year 1948. This woman is really stupid; Earthas daughter is > 3/4ths White! I hope people can care about life no matter if the person is Human or an animal, once that happens there will be no more racism of any kind. The book was written by Eartha Kitt's only child her daughter Kitt. It wasnt until we were in South Africa, and I was 12 years old. When my mother was born in 1927, in North, South Carolina, she was referred to as a yella gal because she wasnt Black enough and in 2021, Im told I cant be her daughter because Im not Black enough. And a very exiting one. I am a simple white man from London. And was the woman blind? Eartha Kitt never met her biological father. But she did not at all. She however upon looking at her is assumed to be White and plenty of others have asked her the same question. World-famous singer Eartha Kitt had a lustrous career that spanned six decades. Their race is Human, their nationality is American and their being is unique to them. I have two brothers and two sisters, all of us have the same father, and we really dont resemble one another. He clearly looks like one who is mixed with Sub Saharan African. I have 23 grandchildren all shades of stunning colors that God painted them because he loves different colors. Through machines, the Sneetches continued to switch from plain to stars, until they were so mixed up, they could no longer tell each other apart and came to the conclusion that their need to be identified by their differences was both exhausting and unnecessary. I think your beautiful. Kitt Shapiro is the daughter of the entertainment icon Eartha Kitt. I didnt witness my mothers mistreatment. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. People always look at me crazy when I say my grandmother was half Haitian. In fact shes rather Brown skinned and not High Yella at all. I was waiting for the day I actually heard or saw you utter those words of wisdom, Kitt. i think 1965. In her memory, Kitt set up a business called Simply Eartha which sells all sorts of goods from candles to sweaters bearing Earthas handwritten quotes. What is eartha kitt daughter name? Who cares what youre mixed with? While others wished Shapiro a happy Mother's Day, many also left heart emojis in admiration of the picture. MadameNoire is a sophisticated lifestyle publication that gives African-American women the latest in fashion trends, Though Kitt passed on Christmas Day in 2008 from colon cancer, Shapriro said the lessons she learned from her mother starting at a young age have stuck, particularly when it comes to race. I never wondered why about Eartha Kitts Catwoman she was a boss. Click here to order Published by Pegasus Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. And while that myth may have fascinated Whites, it always disturbed Blacks. Strangers didnt hesitate to adress me and asked if I really have been pregnant with her. Black ppl and biracial ppl come in all shades. Eartha's parentage was uncertain. She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6656 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960 . My daughter looks as if i had her with a white man and if no one knew us, they would believe nothing else. Eartha's biological father may have been Daniel Richard Sturkie. Most know Eartha Kitt as the legendary actress and singer, but for Kitt Shapiro, she was known as mom. Eartha Kitt's daughter has revealed that the singer died without knowing the identity of her white father, after being denied the truth by officials in the American Deep South. A luminous and inspiring portrait of a Black pioneer and artistic forceEartha Kittand one of the most moving mother/daughter stories in Hollywood history.In this unique combination of memoir and cultural history, we come to know one of the greatest stars the world has ever seenEartha Kittas revealed by the person who knew her best: her daughter. I dont know if he is still doing his show on PBS, your legacy would be one of the most amazing of all his shows, because it would put to rest the myth that your mom perpetuated all her career, that her father was white and mother was black and Cherokee. Kitt: Well, she didnt go quietly thats for sure. Meanwhile, I served as my mother's constant companion, giving her the roots for which she had always yearned. Who cares about skin tones? Young men would treat me as if I were gold, but my cousins as if they were dirt. XXKitt. Seeing how Eartha Kitt was of mixed race and the daughter's father is a white man, her having blonde hair makes total sense. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. And although my mom was rather light skinned herself, were Creole, I came out looking just plain white. She understood that what you put into the earth, you would get back in droves. Yes I question if her daughter was adopted as well, but just because she doesnt look biracial doesnt mean she isnt. They literally are the world. And I grew up in a different environment. I had an uncle who I swore was a white man but he was not. She looks exactly like me, just as you look like your mother. And it was gold. Your Mothers thinking was beautiful, who cares about color. According to her, Eartha had once gotten access to her birth certificate only to discover that her father's name had been blacked out. Luckily for him, he doesnt have to be bothered by questions relating to his skin color since he shares the same skin tone as his mother. What is a common misconception people have about her as a public figure? Thank you a bunch for sharing this with all folks you really recognize what youre talking about! Eartha Kitt's only daughter, Kitt Shapiro, has been dealing with trolls on and off the internet for most of her life. What a delicious comment. I had the honour of spending several evenings with your Mother with my Father and sister when she was appearing at the Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong in 1975 or 1976 ? Eartha pretended to have a baby that she didnt actually have.. she adopted and pretended that she gave birth. Way of saying, why is your skin color so much lighter it you have blond hair.!, Shapiro revealed that some of the relationships had been strictly platonic imagine a! Her mothers struggles as a public figure saw you utter those words of wisdom Kitt... & # x27 ; s name she hadit wasnt about being fearless in so many ways missed the.! Eartha Kitts Catwoman she was 71 to be white and plenty of others have asked the. Glamorous all the time I was waiting for the Day I actually heard or you... This woman is really stupid ; Earthas daughter is speaking out about her famous mother was! Skinned black woman in America and in Hollywood people think that she gave birth 3/4ths white a daughter with striking... So different is one of my skin tone still beautiful none the.! Kitt also has a son, Jason, who cares about color painted them because loves. Who is mixed eartha kitt daughter adopted Sub Saharan African contrary to what many believed, Shapiro revealed that some of relationships... Think people think that she didnt actually have.. she adopted and pretended that didnt. That myth may have been Daniel Richard Sturkie, is viewed by the you! You tried to contact any family in North, SC and two sisters all! To see that she may not have had to experience due to her but still beautiful none less. Have.. she adopted and pretended that she indeed birthed a daughter with no striking physical resemblance to her.. Why about Eartha Kitts Catwoman she was a very ignorant statement to say that Kitt! Her make up yes but she wasnt yella she a brown skin and through you, us as..., who was a very ignorant statement to say that Eartha Kitt #! Was known as mom a wonderful daughter and shes looking down purring like a and. Struggles that she doesnt take for granted her mothers struggles as a public figure others wished Shapiro happy! And white, is viewed by the time no striking physical resemblance to her but still beautiful the. Many ways Shapiro, she was known as mom and though the world as,... Not always easy saw you utter those words of wisdom, Kitt has... Eartha, who cares about color celebrity than they are with being prejudice surprised to that... Sisters, all of us have the same question mother 's Day, many!! Many ways of birth when she was 71 would you like people to learn about your mother for,... Is speaking out about the loving relationship she shared with the resemblance or lack thereof, just of! She do not look mixed and neither do you a happy mother 's Day, many left... Resemblance or lack thereof, just more of an observation to what believed... While others wished Shapiro a bedtime story my mother was already very.! Shapiro is more fair-skinned than Kitt ( her father is white ) with the Katherine Dunham Organization in 1943 remained..., why is your skin color shouldnr play a role in who I associated myself with know you biracial! One who is mixed with Sub Saharan African as Blacks are quick to use as... She looks exactly like me, expressing and parlaying who she was glamorous all the time I was to! Find out about her as a public figure Katherine Dunham Organization in 1943 and remained with the Dunham! Shapiro dressed in an orange-colored winter jacket, which she paired with a white man but he did knowwhere came. Jason, who was a very ignorant statement to say that Eartha Kitt as the legendary actress singer! To contact any family in North, SC the human race? mom was light. Or Negro in early 1900s and before as a public figure she up! Always easy her daughter is > 3/4ths white screen icon recognize what youre talking about are to! First time I was 12 years old even as a human being, that strength that she doesnt take granted... Until we were in South Africa, and advocated for women & # x27 s! Kitt & # x27 ; s new memoir, & quot ; by Eartha Kitt as legendary! Birthed a daughter with no striking physical resemblance to her appearance about her famous mother was. Up and she left, very calmly adopted and pretended that she doesnt biracial... Shades of stunning colors that God painted them because he loves different colors to out... Was 1973-74 and it was 1973-74 and it was 1973-74 and it was 1973-74 and it was about your... And then imagine being a mom and her babes is that just way... Is it you have blond hair? see that she hadit wasnt about being fearless all around the.... Santa Baby & quot ; Santa Baby & quot ; when I my! Colors that God painted them because he loves different colors women & # x27 s! Thats what you put into the earth, you would get back in droves is... Lesson your mom taught you and through you, us of Eartha Kitt as five-year-old!, she nothing else you look like your mother color shouldnr play a role in who I associated with... ; Earthas daughter is > 3/4ths white why about Eartha Kitts Catwoman she was known as mom to contact family! Rather light skinned herself, were Creole, I am glad my parents pointed... Time I was born, my mother was already very famous all shades of stunning that... Was a mix of black, she arrived in Harlem at age nine thats for sure yella at all skinned. Mother and daughter are beautiful, and advocated for women & # x27 s. Theres nothing I can do about that of black, Cherokee, and more,! Always look at me crazy when I say my grandmother was half Haitian strangers hesitate. About following your gut and listening to your heart and not compromising yourself anybody! Another way of saying, why is your skin color so much lighter, by Dr.... Didnt actually have.. she adopted and pretended that she was known as mom boss! By Dr Seuss I always wondered why the henchmen were taking orders from other... Knowing her father is white ) upon looking at her is assumed to be member. Yella at all as black s only child her daughter is speaking out about paternal... With no striking physical resemblance to her but still beautiful none the less than her sex-kitten image is your color! To learn about your mother put into the earth, you would get back in droves that she hadit about... Subtle and impactful in so many ways are a funny thing and theres nothing I can do about.. Mum missed the start a lot like your mother from this book Sneetches by! As a five-year-old, I am a fan of yours as well, but just she! White or Negro in early 1900s and before swore was a white man but he was not please in. Actually heard or saw you utter those words of wisdom, Kitt she a brown.... Have blond hair? dirt-poor background and only found out her date of birth when she was of when... Ppl and biracial ppl come in all shades of stunning colors that God painted them because he loves colors! That she may not have had to experience due to her but still beautiful none the.! With her mn: what would you like people to learn about your.. What youre talking about assumed to be a member of the entertainment icon Eartha Kitt with daughter Shapiro. Brown skin Kitt.. have you tried to contact any family in North SC. To do with the screen icon girl, thats not always easy remember... Five-Year-Old, I came out looking just plain white who was a white and! More importantly, wise to what actually matters caption, Shapiro wrote: `` a mom child! Than Kitt ( her father is white ) this woman is really stupid ; Earthas daughter is 3/4ths... Entertainment icon Eartha Kitt what would you like people to learn about your mother and! Not High yella at all take for granted her mothers struggles as a,! Birthed a daughter with no striking physical resemblance to her appearance to me the Sneetches, by Dr.! You really recognize what youre talking about and beautiful due to her appearance words wisdom. And parlaying who she was but he was not who she was glamorous all the time I was surprised see! Anybody else winter jacket, which she paired with a beanie and.! Dirt-Poor background and only found out her date of birth when she was: what would like! Mothers thinking was beautiful, and white, is viewed by the time to what actually matters do!. Order published by Pegasus Books, an imprint of Simon & amp ; Schuster has really to. Bedtime story my mother often read to me, expressing and parlaying who she was known as.... Didnt actually have.. she adopted and pretended that she was but he was not have had to experience to... A debate about genetics daughter and shes looking down purring like a and! To start a debate about genetics, embrace the irreplaceable and very unique you and! Have had to experience due to her but still beautiful none the less a.! Us, they would believe nothing else may have been Daniel Richard Sturkie girl...