African American women have always played unique roles in history. They have been instrumental in contributing and shaping all facets of the Black experience. This is especially true regarding their involvement in the entertainment industry One of the most iconic performers of the 20th century was Josephine Baker. Baker was not only an acclaimed actress, dancer and singer, but she assumed the role of a spy for the French Resistance during World War II. Her multifaceted career makes her an unparalleled contributor to African American cultural production and an ambassador for equality.
Born in St Louis, Missouri, Freda Josephine McDonald grew up parents who were entertainers. Her parents were unable to achieve success due to segregation in St. Louis. Baker worked for several white families in St. Louis and was a victim of physical and sexual abuse. She was eventually discovered by a theatre troupe. Baker joined the troupe and entered her first marriage. The marriage was short lived, but she took her husband’s last name.
She initially performed with traveling black performance troupes. Baker’s big break came in 1922 during the Harlem Renaissance. She secured a chorus role in the production of Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake’s musical Shuffle Along. Shuffle Along was one of the first Black musicals on Broadway.” During her time in New York, Baker entertained at local clubs. She quickly became popular due to her unique dance style and charisma. By 1925, Baker decided to go to Europe to pursue additional opportunities. She felt that racism in America was stifling her efforts to achieve success.
In Paris, Baker became an overnight sensation. At the renowned Theatre des Champs-Elysees, she became part of the La Revue Negro. Here she began to perform her signature dance known as the Danse Savage. The dance was spirited, seductive and erotic. She immediately received top billing across France. At the highly regarded Parisian cabaret and dance hall, Foiles-Bergere, Baker performed the dance in a skit made of 16 bananas. In addition to her performance work, she also launched a cosmetic line, Bakerfix, which sold skin darkening treatments and hair gel. Dolls based on her image in the banana skit sold by the thousands in Europe.
Her performances and reception in the U.S. by contrast, received harsh reviews. She performed for the Ziegfeld Follies in 1936. The choreography for the numbers was done by the critically acclaimed choreographer George Balanchine. Nonetheless, reviewers offered racist and inaccurate critiques of her performance. In 1937, Baker became a French citizen as a result of marrying Jean Lion, a French industrialist. Despite being married, Baker was bisexual. She had affairs with several well-known women.
One of the most interesting episodes of Baker’s life involved her activities during World War II. France fell to the Germans in 1940. A puppet government known as the Vichy was set up to carry out the Nazi program. The French Resistance led by Charles De Gaulle challenged the Germans and the Vichy government. Baker was enlisted a spy for the French Resistance. She was known to carry messages written in invisible ink on sheet music, or to take images of German military installation and store them in her underwear. She also hid weapons and Jewish refugees in her chateau Les Milandes. After the war, she was honored with the Croix de Guerre, a French medal for bravery, and Legion of Honour, symbolizing her dedication to equality and liberty.
Despite her reluctance to endure the racism and marginalization of Jim Crow America, Baker always considered the United States her country. She regularly worked with Civil Rights organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to challenge segregation. Her efforts prompted the NAACP to declare May 20, 1951 “Josephine Baker Day.” Baker was also instrumental in desegregation in St. Louis. She refused to perform there until the city allowed desegregated audiences to come to see her at the Kiel Auditorium in 1952.
Baker was also dedicated to promoting interracial unity in her personal life. One of the best manifestations of this sentiment was her efforts to develop a “Rainbow Tribe.” The tribe consisted of adopted children from a variety of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. The goal was to prove all people could live in harmony. The group grew to 12 children.
Baker also played a prominent role in the March of Washington Movement in 1963. She was the only woman who spoke at the event. She compared her treatment in Europe with the discriminatory treatment in America. She emphasized the fact that she spoke out against racial injustice, and it resonated around the world.
The later part of her life was spent performing and taking care of the Rainbow Tribe. Financial difficulties caused her to lose her chateau. Prince Grace of Monaco offered the family a villa. In April 1975, she performed at the Bobino Theater in Paris to celebrate the 50th anniversary of her Paris debut. Baker died of a cerebral hemorrhage four days after the celebration of the Paris debut in on April 12,1975.
Baker’s career encompassed two continents. She used her many talents as a dancer, singer and actress and civil rights activist to challenge injustice and inequality. She was a dedicated opponent of segregation and worked to desegregate public spaces in the United States including Las Vegas, Nevada and St. Louis. She also modeled interracial possibilities in her personal life through the “Rainbow Tribe.” Her life and work stand as a testament to the use of performance to unite the world across racial and ethnic lines, and to serve as a global ambassador for equality.
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This post was previously published on Historian Speaks.
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Photo credit: by Walery, Polish-British, 1863-1929 Public Domain