Eartha Kitt Goes to Washington

On January 18, 1968, acclaimed singer and actress Eartha Kitt made her way to the White House at the invitation of First Lady Lady Bird Johnson for one of her “Doers Luncheons,” meant to bring together professional women to discuss the issues of the day.¹ The subject of this luncheon was youth crime.² These "Doers Luncheons” were designed by the first lady to support President Lyndon B. Johnson’s policy agenda and, on this particular occasion, the luncheon was organized to counter the Republican Party’s rhetoric on crime in an election year.³ After the lackluster response to the previous day’s State of the Union Address, the first lady was determined for this event to go well.⁴

Mrs. Johnson invited Eartha Kitt to the White House because of her work with a nonprofit group called “Rebels with a Cause,” which worked to reach young people in D.C. and prevent youth crime.⁵ Illinois Congressman Roman Pucinski recommended Kitt for the Doers luncheon as a “famous personality from Hollywood” because of her time testifying in favor of President Johnson’s Juvenile Delinquency Act of 1967.⁶ One month earlier, the “Santa Baby” singer made her debut as Catwoman on the final season of the television series “Batman.” As the only Black cast member on the show, Kitt tentatively entered the mainstream. At this time, Kitt found herself in a unique place to understand the perspective of African-American children living in American cities, directly affected by poverty and racism, while having gained enough recognition for her career to find herself seated by the first lady.

As the luncheon began, President Lyndon B. Johnson stopped by to deliver a few remarks which Kitt later described as “platitudes.”⁷ As he turned to leave, Kitt stopped him to ask how his administration planned to curb youth crime without properly addressing access to childcare.⁸ President Johnson answered casually with a reference to the money recently approved by Congress for daycare centers and then swiftly left.⁹ The air in the luncheon shifted after his exit. The first lady later wrote in her journal that she found herself “expecting something.”¹⁰

As the luncheon continued, and each guest was given the opportunity to speak, Eartha Kitt kept her hand raised, waiting patiently for her turn. Finally, when it became impossible to politely ignore her any longer, Mrs. Johnson called on Kitt. She rose and began to speak, discussing the ways in which she could identify both with the disaffected youth and frustrated parents.¹¹ Kitt’s most salient point came from her argument that youth crime stemmed from opposition to the Vietnam War.¹² She argued that it was impossible to treat the symptoms of youth crime without acknowledging that the root cause came from a sense of helplessness felt among the nation’s youth, many of whom were being drafted to fight a war they didn’t support.

In her 1976 autobiography, Kitt described contacting a group called the “Mothers of Watts,” a community organizing group in Watts, a neighborhood in California where Kitt had been teaching dance classes, before the luncheon to get their opinion on the subject. She recalled that these women agreed that “the war in Vietnam was one of the biggest problems – both economically and morally,” and that they were primarily concerned with “the disproportionate numbers of minorities who were fighting the war.”¹³ With the tangible experiences and concerns of these women on her mind, Kitt found herself frustrated by the focus on the effects of crime rather than the cause and what appeared to be a complete disregard for the realities of life for these children.¹⁴ She recalled a sense of “personal responsibility” to speak for Americans who would never gain entry to the White House.¹⁵ Kitt argued that the “doers’” calls for increased police funding and more streetlights would have no effect if the inherent frustration and unrest among everyday Americans were not addressed.

The backlash was swift and the incident made the front page of the New York Times.¹⁶ Coverage of the event in the Evansville Press the next day called Kitt “belligerent,” and described her having “shouted angrily at Mrs. Johnson.”¹⁷ Almost every article referencing Kitt went out of its way to highlight her race. Kitt held her ground, saying in turn: “I was not rude. I raised my hand and asked to be heard... I said what is in my heart... It was time that we began to examine our problems with the First Family. After all, the Johnsons are our family and as the head of the nation, who better to discuss the subject with?”¹⁸

Although coverage of the incident reported almost exclusively backlash to Kitt, many took her side. The Women Strike for Peace organization picketed the White House the day after Kitt’s visit, with signs saying: “Eartha Kitt Speaks for the Women of America.”¹⁹

Eartha Kitt struck a nerve, and the American entertainment industry quickly began to see Kitt as a liability. She shattered the illusion that domestic issues were separate from the worsening situation in Vietnam. Afterwards, Eartha Kitt was blacklisted from getting any work in the United States for nearly a decade.²⁰ Kitt described the experience as becoming “persona non grata in my own country.”²¹ She later recalled, “Dates simply started getting canceled. I knew that some government investigators had come around checking. I didn't know what it was for, then. But in those days, you didn't need any more than for the FBI to come in and ask about your personality to damage you. One club owner told me he was sorry, but, 'You're a problem.'”²² As it became clear that she was no longer welcome in the American entertainment industry, Kitt began working abroad.

In 1975, a New York Times article revealed that after the 1968 luncheon, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) put together a report of the data collected on Kitt since 1956.²³ The report detailed Kitt’s connection to other entertainers who had been linked to the Communist Party as well as her past activism.²⁴ Most concerningly, Hersh details the way the report goes into describing Kitt’s personality, depicting her as “a spoiled child, very crude and having a vile tongue,” further impressing the way in which Kitt’s status as a Black woman made her a convenient target to make a political example.²⁵

Despite the best efforts of a media and entertainment system that had a vested interest in maintaining the status quo and silencing anyone who attempted to upend it, Eartha Kitt would not go quietly. She continued to work in Europe and, almost exactly ten years later, she returned to the White House while performing at the Kennedy Center in the hit musical “Timbuktu.” President Jimmy Carter welcomed Kitt in the receiving line and said, “I’m glad to have you back.”²⁶

About the Author

Anabelle joined the Association as a summer intern in June 2024. She is a rising senior at Wellesley College majoring in Art History. She is specifically interested in the decorative arts and the experiences of Jewish American women. Anabelle is originally from Denver, CO.