Eleanor Hinton Hoytt is president and CEO of the Black Women’s Health Imperative, where she works to advance the health and wellness of black women and girls. Before participating in a panel on why cancer kills more African-Americans, she talked about the pitfalls of lying in the Zócalo green room—but admitted that growing up, she lied to her dad about smoking.
Q:
Who is your favorite artist?
A:
His name just escaped me—I can see his work. But I’m going to say Faith Ringgold.
Q:
What do you eat for breakfast?
A:
Oatmeal. I love oatmeal.
Q:
When, if ever, is it OK to lie?
A:
Whenever’s necessary. [Laughs.] I don’t believe in lying. Because you can never remember the lie. You just can’t do it.
Q:
What’s the last song that got stuck in your head?
A:
“At Last,” Etta James.
Q:
If you had one more hour in the day, how would you use it?
A:
I would sleep; I don’t sleep a lot.
Q:
What do you wake up to?
A:
Faith in the day. Prayerful. Believing in what I do. But being very prayerful and thankful and grateful for my life.
Q:
What was the most important year of your life?
A:
I know I should say 1973, when my daughter was born. And so why don’t I say that, just in case she reads this …
Q:
How did you get into trouble as a child?
A:
I didn’t. I was the perfect child! … I smoked—I smoked early. I’m from the South, from tobacco country, and I guess that’s when I would get in real trouble with my brothers. I had two brothers, and they would tell my father that I smoked, and he’d say, “Not my baby,” and I’d lie.
Q:
What salad dressing best describes you?
A:
There is a lemon dressing that has just come out that’s smooth and a little tart and a little sweet—but smooth.
Q:
What was your worst subject in school?
A:
That’s a hard one because I avoided statistics, and that would have been it. I just don’t remember having a bad subject, being as smart as I am. [Laughs.] I loved school, and it was so long ago.
Q:
What’s the best gift you’ve ever been given?
A:
I have a gift that keeps on coming. Every February, around my birthday, my daughter takes me on a spa trip for a week. This year it was to the Atlantis in the Bahamas. The best of all of those spa weeks is Canyon Ranch.
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