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Source Record

Siren of the Resistance: The Artistry and Espionage of Josephine Baker

Why this source is used

National WWII Museum article on Josephine Baker as performer, Resistance figure, civil rights activist and openly bisexual public figure.

Start with the answer

Start with the answer How did queer artists and writers shape visibility? They shaped visibility by giving language, images, performances and public memory to queer desire, identity, grief and resistance. Read the topic guide Queer Artists, Writers and Performers Queer cultural history is carried by poets, novelists, visual artists, performers and musicians whose work made desire, identity and survival visible.

Source Status

Publisher
The National WWII Museum
Type
organisation
Reliability
medium
Cited by
3 pages

Source Links

Open original source https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/siren-resistance-artistry-and-espionage-josephine-baker Accessed 4 June 2026 Open archived copy https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/siren-resistance-artistry-and-espionage-josephine-baker

Used by Topics

Queer Artists, Writers and Performers

Used by Questions

How did queer artists and writers shape visibility?

Used by Timeline Events

12 April 1975 CulturalActivismPeople

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.