Josephine Baker was an American dancer, singer and actress who found fame in her performances in Paris during the 1920s. She became a huge star in Europe due to her sensual and exotic dance routines. Baker faced racism in the United States and struggled to find success there. During World War II, she served as a spy for the French resistance. Later in life, Baker fought against racism and segregation in the U.S. She passed away in 1975 in France and was given a military burial in recognition of her service.

1. Josephine Baker
Presented by
Design By
Visual Communication Creative Specialist
A rt D é c o r Co rp o rat e & In d i v i d ua l Bra nd i ng

2. Josephine Baker

3. About Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker sashayed onto a Paris stage during the 1920s with a
comic, yet sensual appeal that took Europe by storm. Famous for
barely-there dresses and no-holds-barred dance routines, her exotic
beauty generated nicknames "Black Venus," "Black Pearl" and "Creole
Goddess." Admirers bestowed a plethora of gifts, including diamonds
and cars, and she received approximately 1,500 marriage proposals. She
maintained energetic performances and a celebrity status for 50 years
until her death in 1975. Unfortunately, racism prevented her talents
from being wholly accepted in the United States until 1973.
Humble beginnings
She was born Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis, Missouri, on June
3, 1906 to washerwoman Carrie McDonald and vaudeville drummer
Eddie Carson . Josephine grew up cleaning houses and babysitting for
wealthy white families who reminded her "be sure not to kiss the baby."
She got a job waitressing at The Old Chauffeur's Club when she was 13
years old. While waiting tables she met and had a brief marriage to
Willie Wells. While it was unusual for a woman during her era,
Josephine never depended on a man for financial support. . She was married and divorced three more times, to
American Willie Baker in 1921 (whose last name she chose to keep), Frenchman Jean Lion in 1937 (from whom
she attained French citizenship) and French orchestra leader Jo Bouillon in 1947 who helped to raise her 12
adopted children. They divorced, and she married in 1973 American artist Robert Brady in Acapulco, Mexico.

4. About Josephine Baker
Josephine toured the United States with The Jones Family Band and The
Dixie Steppers in 1919, performing various comical skits. When the
troupes split, she tried to advance as a chorus girl for The Dixie Steppers
in Sissle and Blake's production Shuffle Along. She was rejected because
she was "too skinny and too dark." Undeterred, she learned the chorus
line's routines while working as a dresser. Thus, Josephine was the
obvious replacement when a dancer left. Onstage she rolled her eyes and
purposely acted clumsy. The audience loved her comedic touch, and
Josephine was a box office draw for the rest of the show's run.
Parisian sensation
She enjoyed moderate success at The Plantation Club in New York after
Shuffle Along. However, when Josephine traveled to Paris for a new
venture, La Revue Nègre, it proved to be a turning point in her career.
Josephine and dance partner Joe Alex captivated the audience with the
Danse Sauvage. Everything about the routine was new and exotic, and
Josephine, boldly dressed in nothing but a feather skirt, worked the
audience into frenzy with her uninhibited movements. She was an
overnight sensation.
Josephine's immense popularity afforded her a comfortable salary. She
loved animals, and at one time she owned a leopard (Chiquita), a
chimpanzee (Ethel), a pig (Albert), a snake (Kiki), a goat, a parrot,
parakeets, fish, three cats and seven dogs.

5. Her career thrived in the integrated Paris
society; Josephine was the most
photographed woman in the world,
and by 1927 she earned more than any
entertainer in Europe.
In the late 1930’s she moved her family
from St. Louis to her estate” Les
Milandes” in France.
A 1936 return to the United States to star
in the Ziegfield Follies proved disastrous,
despite the fact that she was a major
celebrity in Europe. American audiences
rejected the idea of a black
woman with so much sophistication and
power, newspaper reviews were equally
cruel (The New York Times called her a
"Negro wench"), and Josephine returned
to Europe heartbroken.

6. Righting wrongs
Josephine served France during World War II in several ways.
She performed for the troops, and was an honorable
correspondent for the French Resistance (undercover work
included smuggling secret messages written on her music
sheets) and a sub-lieutenant in the Women's Auxiliary Air
Force. She was later awarded the Medal of the Resistance with
Rosette and named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor by the
French government for hard work and dedication.
Josephine visited the United States during the 50s and 60s
with renewed vigor to fight racism. When New York's
popular Stork Club refused her service, she engaged a head-
on media battle with pro-segregation columnist Walter
Winchell. The National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP) named May 20 Josephine Baker Day
in honor of her efforts.

7.
Sad farewells
Josephine agreed to perform at New York's Carnegie Hall
that same year. Due to previous experience, she was
nervous about how the audience and critics would receive
her. This time, however, cultural and racial growth was
evident. Josephine received a standing ovation before the
concert even began. The enthusiastic welcome was so
touching that she wept onstage.
On April 8, 1975 Josephine premiered at the Bobino
Theater in Paris, the 68-year-old Josephine perform a
medley of routines from her 50 year career. Days later,
however, Josephine slipped into a coma. She died from a
cerebral hemorrhage at 5 a.m. on April 12, 1975
More than 20,000 people crowded the streets of Paris to
watch the funeral procession on its way to the Church of
the Madeleine. The French government honored her with a
21-gun salute, making Josephine Baker the first American
woman buried in France with military honors. Her
gravesite is in the Cimetiére de Monaco, Monaco.
Josephine Baker has continued to intrigue and inspire
people throughout the world. In 1991, HBO released The
Josephine Baker Story. The film garnered five Emmy
Awards. The film also won one of the three Golden Globes
the film was nominated for that season.

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Presented and Produced by Andrea Books of
Andrea’s Creative Designs. Andrea said
“I was inspired by Josephine’s strength
courage and determination that broke racial
barriers and open doors for Black women
around the world”.
“All though many people have heard of
Josephine Baker, few really know her story,
which has been the inspiration for many of
my designs and is one of the reasons I entered
the design field”, Andrea says. Andrea is
presently studying Fashion and Jewelry
designs at HCC and is also employed
as a Theatrical Costumer for the Ensemble
Theatre. As a Breast Cancer survivor
Josephine help her endure struggles with
hope and was the inspiration behind this
project and says “ she is one of my hero’s and
I applaud her career strength, courage and
many talents”.