As a Josephine, people would often ask me who I was named after — after all, most children named Josephine were born in the late 1800’s, when the name peaked. Although my mother named me after Louisa May Alcott’s ‘Jo,’ my name introduced me to Josephine Baker. Growing up in Berkeley and later studying Sociology at UC Davis, I learned more about the extraordinary entertainer and Civil Rights activist that she was.
Baker was born in Missouri to former slaves. She left at the age of 15, moved to New York City, and joined a vaudeville troupe. In 1925, when she traveled to Paris for the first time, she finally got her big break. Her infamous banana skirt dance, the “Danse Sauvage,” launched Baker to the forefront of the Art Deco movement.
During World War II, Baker was recruited by the Deuxième Bureau, the French military. She acted as a correspondent and relayed the information she gathered at galas and parties regarding the whereabouts of German troops.
Josephine Baker was an outspoken opponent of segregation in the U.S. and publicly spoke about the acceptance and respect she received abroad. In 1963, she spoke alongside Martin Luther King Jr. at the March on Washington, as the only female speaker.
Image Source: BlackPast
Baker had many lovers, both men and women, and was even married several times. She began adopting children during the Civil Rights Movement. Her “Rainbow Tribe,” as she called them, was made up of 12 children who were of varying ethnicities and racial backgrounds. She wanted to prove that race did not matter, that children could be raised as siblings no matter what they looked like. After the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King approached Baker and asked if she would consider becoming a leader of the movement. Baker declined, as her children were her priority at that point.
Josephine Baker embodied the beauty and vivaciousness of black women while using her social platform to project the political message of equality. She continued to perform in Europe until her death in 1975. This Black History Month, take note of the important figures, especially womxn like Josephine Baker, who aren’t as discussed but just as revolutionary!