Josephine Baker was more than a glittering star of the stage. She was a cultural icon, a freedom fighter, a mother to many, and a defiant voice against oppression. Born into poverty in the United States, she rose to fame in France, where her dazzling performances and bold personality captivated audiences. But beyond the feathers and sequins, Baker led a life of remarkable courage and conviction, risking her life during World War II, breaking racial barriers, and adopting children from around the world in an attempt to show the power of unity.
Humble Beginnings
Freda Josephine McDonald was born on 3 June 1906 in St. Louis, Missouri. Her early years were marked by poverty, instability, and racial discrimination. She lived in a crowded, segregated neighbourhood and began working from a young age, cleaning houses and babysitting for white families, often enduring humiliation and abuse.
As a young teenager, she joined a vaudeville troupe and travelled the United States, performing in shows that exploited racial stereotypes but also offered a path out of poverty. It was during this time that she honed her comedic timing, dance skills, and fearless stage presence. Her big break came in 1921 when she joined the chorus line of the Broadway musical Shuffle Along, a landmark production in the Harlem Renaissance.
Fame in France
In 1925, Baker took a leap of faith and moved to Paris. Europe, and especially France, was more accepting of Black performers at the time, and Baker’s talent and exotic persona found a rapturous audience. She made her debut at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in La Revue Nègre, wearing nothing but a feathered skirt. The performance was a sensation.
With her iconic banana skirt and exuberant dance style, she became the toast of Paris. But while some saw her as a novelty act, others recognised her brilliance as a performer. She combined jazz, African rhythms, and theatrical flair in a way that defied categorisation. She starred at the Folies Bergère, appeared in films, and released successful recordings. Her fame spread across Europe, and she became one of the highest-paid entertainers on the continent.
Josephine also used her fame to challenge societal expectations. She was openly bisexual, forged friendships with artists like Picasso and Ernest Hemingway, and consistently defied norms of race, gender, and sexuality. She embraced her freedom in France while never forgetting the prejudice she had endured in America.
The French Resistance and World War II
When World War II broke out, Baker’s life took a dramatic turn. Rather than flee or hide, she joined the fight, literally. She became a spy for the French Resistance, using her celebrity status and access to elite circles as cover.
As an agent for the Free French Forces, she carried secret messages in her sheet music and travelled across North Africa and Europe to gather intelligence. Her performances served as a convenient pretext for her movements, and she smuggled valuable information to Allied forces.
In addition to her espionage work, Baker also entertained troops, often in dangerous locations. She risked arrest, torture, and death, yet never hesitated. For her service, she was awarded the Croix de Guerre, the Rosette de la Résistance, and was later made a Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur, France’s highest order of merit.
Returning to America, and Fighting Racism
After the war, Baker returned to the United States in an attempt to build a career back home. However, she was met with the same racism she had fled two decades earlier. American clubs often refused to book her or insisted she perform to segregated audiences.
Baker refused. She famously turned down bookings unless venues integrated. In 1951, she was finally allowed to perform at New York’s famous Stork Club, but racist incidents marred the experience. In response, she publicly denounced the treatment and received support from figures such as Grace Kelly, who was in the audience and left in protest.
She continued to speak out against segregation and became involved in the American civil rights movement. In 1963, she was the only official female speaker at the March on Washington, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. Dressed in her military uniform adorned with her French medals, she addressed the crowd and spoke of her life, her fight, and her hopes for a better America.
The Rainbow Tribe
In the 1950s and 60s, Baker turned her energies to a unique social experiment: her “Rainbow Tribe.” She adopted twelve children from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, Korean, Japanese, French, Finnish, African, Venezuelan, Moroccan, and more, hoping to prove that children of various races and religions could live together in harmony.
She raised them in her château in Dordogne, France, where tourists would come to witness this utopian family. While some have questioned the sustainability and personal motivations of the experiment, others view it as a genuine effort to create a new model of racial harmony.
Final Years and Legacy
Josephine Baker continued to perform into her later years, often returning to the stage to pay tribute to her career and raise funds for causes she believed in. In 1975, she staged a lavish comeback show in Paris to commemorate 50 years in the entertainment industry. It was a triumphant return, and tragically, her last.
On 12 April 1975, just days after her opening night, Baker suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and died at the age of 68. France honoured her with a state funeral, attended by thousands. She was buried in Monaco, but in 2021, her legacy received a historic tribute: Josephine Baker was inducted into the Panthéon in Paris, becoming the first Black woman and first performing artist to receive this honour.
Why We Still Remember Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker’s life was a breathtaking performance across continents and causes. She dazzled as a singer, dancer, and actress. She fought bravely in wartime. She challenged racial injustice, not just with words, but with her actions, choices, and sacrifices.
Her legacy lives on not only in music and entertainment but in history books, civil rights movements, and global consciousness. From St. Louis to Paris, from jazz halls to resistance networks, she proved that artistry, courage, and compassion can co-exist. Josephine Baker lived many lives in one, and inspired millions in the process.
She once said, “I have two loves, my country and Paris.” The world, however, had many loves for Josephine Baker. And rightly so.
Josephine Baker FAQ
Josephine Baker was an American-born French entertainer, civil rights activist, and World War II resistance agent. She rose to fame in France during the 1920s as a singer and dancer known for her charisma, exotic costumes, and iconic performances.
She gained international fame for her performances in Parisian cabarets, especially at the Folies Bergère. Her daring stage presence, jazz-influenced dances, and unique fashion made her a symbol of the Jazz Age.
Yes. She worked with the French Resistance during World War II, smuggling messages written in invisible ink and hiding refugees. For her bravery, she was awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Legion of Honour.
Absolutely. She was an outspoken advocate for racial equality. She refused to perform for segregated audiences and spoke at the 1963 March on Washington alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Josephine Baker broke barriers in both entertainment and activism. In 2021, she became the first Black woman inducted into France’s Panthéon, recognised for her contributions to liberty and humanity.
