Never underestimate a woman, much less a woman in entertainment. That is what all of the high officers of the axis powers did when they laughed and clapped along to Josephine Baker’s while she was listening to each word they exchanged, waiting to relay it back to the Allies at the next possible opportunity.
Josephine Baker, born Freda Josephine McDonald, was born into poverty in St. Louis Missouri to an absent father and a mother working as a dancer for small performance groups. At 8 years old, she dropped out of school so she could begin working to support her family. While her parents had been unsuccessful in launching their careers into the entertainment industry, Baker found success at the early age of 15 when she was recruited into an African American theater group. After a few year
s, she moved to New York to participate in the Harlem Renaissance, a celebration of black art and culture.
Her fame eventually took her to Paris, where she became one of the most famous dancers in the country, her most famous act involved a G-string decorated with bananas. Even though she performed for a mostly white audience, her shows were a celebration of black culture, including traditional African dancing and singing styles.
Never one to back down from a bully, Baker joined the fight against the Nazis and Adolf Hitler as WWII made its way to France. As she danced, wined, and dined high officials of both powers, Baker would listen to the conversations of the Axis leader and pass along what she had learned to the Allies in secret notes written on sheet music in invisible ink.
When she returned to the States for a performance in a New York club, she was faced with an even greater enemy: segregation. She joined marches, became an activist for civil rights and even marched along Martin Luther King Jr. in the March on Washington. As one of the only female speakers that day, her address is both haunting and memorable. Baker speaks of the differences of how she was treated as a performer in Europe verses how she was treated as Black women in the United States: “You know, friends, that I do not lie to you when I tell you I have walked into the palaces of kings and queens and into the houses of presidents. And much more. But I could not walk into a hotel in America and get a cup of coffee, and that made me mad.”After the sudden death of Mr. King Jr. his wife actually asked Baker to take over the movement, to which she replied “my children are too young to lose their mother”.
As a way to fulfill her dream of showing the world that people of all ethnicities could live in harmony, Baker adopted 12 children from all different ethnicities, calling them her “rainbow tribe”. She raised her family in her French castle, Château des Milandes, where she also lived until her death in 1975. Baker not only did a great service to her country and people while she was alive, but also still serves as a reminder that no women should ever be dismissed or underestimated, you never really can know who may be your greatest threat.
References
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/josephine-baker
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Josephine-Baker
Bad Girls Throughout History – Ann Shen (book)
Josephine Baker is such a complex figure and honestly difficult to write about considering her many accomplishments and vast advocacy, but your piece is incredibly concise and beautifully written, and truly helps honors Baker’s incredible legacy.
She did so much in her life and fought against basically the worst people/things in history. The rainbow tribe is also super interesting, and I feel like would be a plot of a modern reality show. But that does not detract from the amazing work Baker did in her life.
Josephine Baker, that name sounded very familiar when I first read it. I remember a story of a black woman dancing with bananas around her somewhere. However, I never heard of the story where she basically worked as a double agent spy or walked besides Martin Luther King during the civil rights movements. And the very interesting fact that she adopted 12 children, all of different ethnicities, and then proceeded to name herself “rainbow tribe” is remarkable. Liked this blog a lot!
This is so interesting to read about. I’ve never heard of her before actually, but after reading this I wish I had. It’s sad that in a lot of schools they aren’t teaching us about strong women of color but I loved your blog and am very excited to read more of these!
I read about Josephine Baker before, and I found her story fascinating. Such a hero! I also remember that she used to sneak away to the restrooms to scribble notes on her hands in pen, and when asked about it later, she said she was not worried because no one would suspect her to be a spy. I’m so glad you made this like a mini biography, talking about her upbringing and later life as well, not just her most famous moments.