Josephine Baker

Well, readers - I’m back! I’m fierce, I’m strong, I’m a total badass....oh, wait...that’s today’s screen actress (comma singer, comma dancer), the talented Miss Josephine Baker...

1906 - 1975

IMDb: Josephine Baker

Freda Josephine McDonald (later Baker) was born in St. Louis, Missouri (USA) to her mother, Carrie, an entertainer. Although her father’s identity hasn’t been proven, some speculate that her father was also an entertainer - possibly a white man (which would have been shameful in those “good old days”!). Josephine herself, as well as other biographers and researchers, did not have conclusive information regarding her background.

Baby Josephine

Josephine grew up in a racially-mixed, impoverished community in St. Louis, spending much of her time playing in the railroad yards of Union Station. Carrie married another man and had an additional 3 children, and at the tender age of 8, Josephine went to work as a live-in domestic (!), serving white families and enduring their abuse. Any family that would “hire” a precious 8-year-old child as a freaking maid, and then become abusive to the child needs immediate prosecution, just saying.

Young Josephine

After dropping out of school at age 12 (for obvious reasons), Josephine began working as a waitress and a street-corner dancer, scavenging food from trash cans and sleeping in cardboard shelters. Tragically, there was little to no help for homeless American children in those days, particularly non-white children! At the age of 13, Josephine married a much older man - and they were divorced less than a year later. She continued finding work as an entertainer, and eventually remarried at 15 to a man named William Howard Baker. Now, I know what you’re thinking...

1925

Where was Josephine’s mother in all of this?? While it’s not completely clear, we do know that Carrie did not want her daughter to be a performer, and wanted her to simply be a devoted wife to her second husband. I’m sorry, but give ANY 15-year-old girl the opportunity and most of them WOULD want to be a performer over a domestic - I mean, wife. Independent, fierce Josephine chose her career when her vaudeville troupe was hired to perform in New York City - and eventually divorced a second time. Josephine’s career took off, and she continued using her ex-husband’s name (Baker).

1927

Well, Broadway came calling, and Josephine became a successful chorus girl - including a production with the amazing Paul Robeson, but before long, she was called to perform in Paris, and her life would never be the same:

No, I didn't get my first break on Broadway. I was only in the chorus in Shuffle Along and Chocolate Dandies. I became famous first in France in the twenties. I just couldn't stand America and I was one of the first colored Americans to move to Paris.“

Somewhat unsurprisingly, Parisians loved Josephine’s nude/semi-nude dance act - and she toured Europe in her costume skirt made of artificial bananas...and not much else. She was so popular that she endorsed beauty products, hair gel and, of course, bananas! While visiting in Yugoslavia (among some cancelled shows due to the protests of the local clergy), Josephine kindly donated some of her show’s proceeds to the children living in poverty in Serbia! One wonders if the oppositional clergymen were also so generous...

"Siren of the Tropics" (1927). View below!

As far as her film career, Josephine’s first film was a French silent, entitled “Siren of the Tropics” - which was only successful in Europe. The same could be said of her other (talkie) films that came later. During the 1930s, Josephine agreed to let her boyfriend Giuseppe Abatino manage her career. While this may have been a death blow to many a career, it was an excellent choice for Josephine. After many months of intense practice with a vocal coach, she starred in an opera at a prestigious theatre in Paris - and seemingly all of Europe became her devoted fans! Josephine and her golden voice recorded over 200 songs during the course of her career.

1930

In 1936, Josephine returned to the United States to star in a revival of the Ziegfeld Follies on Broadway. The press was anything but kind, calling her a "Negro wench ... whose dancing and singing might be topped anywhere outside of Paris" (this from Time Magazine!). Many others were equally horrific in their criticism, and Josephine returned to Paris heartbroken. Becoming a citizen of France was a must-do at this point, girl. Upon her return to France, Josephine married a French industrialist and her citizenship became official.

1940

Did I mention all the while, Josephine suffered several miscarriages, developed a severe infection that required a hysterectomy and ended up with peritonitis AND sepsis??? After taking an understandable leave of service to recover, Josephine continued in espionage until the war ended - and was awarded the Resistance Medal by the French Committee of National Liberation, the Croix de Guerre by the French military and was named a Chevalier of the Legion d’honneur by General Charles de Gaulle. Not a bad haul for any woman in any old war, hey??

1944

Josephine continued performing in Europe after the war - and even returned to perform at a club in the United States in 1951. And, being the champion of equality that she was (did we mention she was also a civil rights activist in France AND with the NAACP???), she fought the issue of the audience being segregated (yes, this was only 70-ish years ago)...and she won! Her show sold out, and she embarked on a highly successful National tour of the U.S.

1951

Honestly, I could write several posts on Josephine alone, and each one would be distinctly different but equally enthralling! There is simply so much to this woman, so many facets, so many awe-inspiring accomplishments, that there just isn’t enough space here to lend justice to all of it...

1970

In 1975, Josephine gave a special performance in a revue that celebrated her 50 years in show business. She was (of course) a great success and received rave reviews.,but four days later, she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and was rushed to the hospital. She passed away soon after, at the age of 68. She was survived by her fourth husband and her 12 adopted children (didn’t we mention them???), whom she referred to as her “Rainbow Tribe” due to their diversity. As of 2021, she is the first Black woman to be honored in the Pantheon in Paris!

1963

In 1963, Josephine (allowed to enter the U.S. - finally) gave a speech at the historic March on Washington, alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A memorable quote that we will remember her by:

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. And when I get mad, you know that I open my big mouth. And then look out, 'cause when Josephine opens her mouth, they hear it all over the world...

We certainly do, Josephine. We certainly do.

References:

Josephine Baker - Wikipedia

Josephine Baker | National Women's History Museum (womenshistory.org)