Josephine Baker — Entertainer, Spy, and Civil Rights Pioneer
Josephine Baker died in Paris aged 68, just days after a triumphant comeback show celebrating her 50 years in entertainment. Born in poverty in St Louis, Missouri, Baker became the most famous entertainer in France during the 1920s and 1930s. She was bisexual and had relationships with both men and women, including rumoured affairs with Frida Kahlo and Colette. During World War II, she served as a spy for the French Resistance, smuggling intelligence written in invisible ink on her sheet music. She later became a civil rights activist, refusing to perform for segregated audiences in America and speaking alongside Martin Luther King Jr. at the 1963 March on Washington.
Impact & Significance
Baker shattered racial and sexual boundaries, becoming the first Black woman to star in a major motion picture and later the first American-born woman to receive full French military honours at her funeral. Her Rainbow Tribe — 12 adopted children from around the world — was a living statement against racism.
Reference Record
- Date
- 12 April 1975
- Era
- 1970-1989
- Sources
- 1
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