January 18, 1968.
Old Family Dining Room at the White House. Fifty women discussing youth crime. The First Lady kept calling on other guests.
Eartha Kitt kept her hand raised.
Finally, she stood.
“You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed…No wonder the kids rebel and take pot.”
After lunch, no one offered her a ride. She caught a cab.
On the radio: Eartha Kitt made the First Lady cry.
Days later, club owners started canceling show dates. One said: “You’re a problem.”
She took work in Europe. Didn’t know why American doors had closed.
1975. A New York Times reporter called. The CIA had compiled a file days after the lunch. Called her a “sadistic nymphomaniac” with “loose morals.”
1978. Timbuktu! on Broadway. The President said, “I’m glad to have you back.”
Theme: “Creative Resistance”
Date Published: Wednesday, November 5, 2025