The CIA spied on Eartha Kitt. She said the following when that was brought to her attention... This is too much. This is more than I can or will take. I am determined to do my part in stopping the gradual erosion of American freedom. If this is not done, the day when the enemies of freedom--be they Communist, Fascist, or what have you--walk right in and take over our country will come sooner than most of us are inclined to think. As for reports of the CIAs invasion of my right to privacy, I am insulted, disappointed, and annoyed, but I dont find it particularly surprising. This is only one of a number of hardships that I have had to endure since making those remarks in 1968. Following my little talk at the White House, most of my nightclub and hotel engagements in this country were canceled--even though contracts had been entered into. That I should be singled out appears, at first glance, to be puzzling. Scores of Hollywood, television, and music personalities, both American and foreign-born, have been far more critical of Americas foreign and domestic policies than I have. The difference, of course, is that I am not Barbara Howar or Jane Fonda or Candice Bergen. I am a black woman. I have always known that racism was widespread in America; after all, I spent most of my childhood in South Carolina on a cotton plantation and in the streets of Harlem. But it took the aftermath of the 1968 incident to prove to me just how deeply racial prejudice is rooted in the American national character. Because I am black, I had to be taught a lesson, and put back into my place as a singing, dancing, mindless automaton who saw no evil, did no evil, and most important, publicly spoke no evil. In my case, the CIA apparently didnt even have accurate information. For example, the news stories said the agency had learned I did not associate with other black persons. Thats nonsense. I have always taken an interest in the black community, even before it became fashionable to do so. I taught dancing at the Harlem YWCA as early as 1952, and have been teaching a dance class in Watts for almost 10 years. I dont regret anything that Ive said or done. I have suffered a lot financially, but I have survived. I only have pity and sympathy for those who tucked their moral tails in between their legs and cuddled up to the Johnson and Nixon administrations immoral and unjust policies. -Eartha Kitt
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 11:21:48 +0000
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