Josephine Baker

(Josephine Baker: Singer, Dancer, Actress. 1927. Photograph. The New York Times Magazine. ())

As a dancer, I often wonder how dance has changed over time and why these changes are significant to the development to the modern interpretation of dancing. When I stood in front of a large photo of Josephine Baker, a famous dancer of the early and mid 1900s, in the spy museum of Washington DC a few weeks ago, my interest in this fascinating woman was sparked. A black woman, born poor and working for whites from the young age of 8, but somehow rising to become recognized as the first black dancing star, had more courageous achievements besides becoming a shining star across the world. Her life was filled with unjust treatment towards her because of her race; struggles to be recognized as a terrific dancer, and then overcoming the cruel ways America treated blacks like her. Because of her tireless will to succeed and make people realize their wrongs, Josephine Baker was truly a hero. She was committed and proud of her heritage and never gave up, even in the hardest of times when her country rejected her.  Even though she introduced an entirely new form of dance, this was not the only reason why I found her so interesting and inspiring.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri on June 3, 1906, Baker started out life hard. Her mother was a washerwoman and her father a drummer for a band. Baker worked as a babysitter for white families and was told to make sure not to kiss the baby. Baker was not very old when her father abandoned her and her mother, leaving them desperate for money and a home. At an early age, Josephine found a passion for dance. She could be found dancing on street corners to earn extra cash as well. Her first big gig was performing comical skits and dances across the United States with The Jones Family Band and The Dixie Steppers in 1919. She had small parts in each band, despite her amazing talent and great stage presence, but she could not advance because of her race; her directors said that she was "too skinny and too dark." Her big chance came when one of the dancers in the chorus line was sick, and Josephine stepped up, knowing the part perfectly even though she had never rehearsed it. She stole the stage with her hilarious acting and skillful dancing, impressing her directors and the audience. She was an instant hit and "a box office draw" for the continuation of the show's run (Scholl).

(Unknown Photographer, Josephine Baker, Havana, Cuba, 1951, Collection of Mary Strauss ())

After only receiving moderate approval and success at a club in New York City, Baker traveled to Paris to perform La Revue Negre and Danse Sauvage. The audience loved her because of her new and unusual dancing from America, known as jazz, making her an instant hit. This was a great turning point in Josephine Baker's life. France did not care what her skin color was, only that she was something they had never seen before and that they absolutely adored her. Her career thrived in integrated Paris society, where the color of your skin was of no concern to people there. She starred in other productions, such as La Folie du Jour, where she wore a daring skirt made of bananas strung together. This odd costume would have once turned people away in disgust, but now people were amazed by this new style of entertainment. She became one of the three most-photographed women in the world and by 1927 earned more than any other performer in Europe. She starred in movies and put on shows all over France and soon all over the world.

In 1936, Josephine Baker returned to the United States to star in a production, but her performance was received with anger and loathing. The New York Times cruelly called her a "Negro wench" (Josephine Baker Estate). Heartbroken, Baker returned to France and became a French citizen by 1937. Angered and dejected, Baker took her citizenship with France to heart and became a loyal and committed woman in service to France. She did many things for France during World War II: she performed for troops to raise their spirits, she became a sub-lieutenant in the Women's Auxiliary Air force and, most bravely, she worked as a correspondent for the French Resistance by smuggling secret messages hidden in her sheet music. She was awarded for her bravery and commitment with the Medal of Resistance and she was named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. This heroic act of risking her life for her adopted country landed her a picture on the wall of the Spy Museum as a celebrity who risked her life and popularity to serve her country for what she knew was right. Since America had discarded her so cruelly, Baker decided to serve those who would appreciate her service most. This is what makes her so heroic, even more so than her risking her reputation for a new form of dancing that could either make her famous or loathed.

In the 50s and 60s, Josephine Baker returned to America to fight racism (Chipman). When a popular club in New York forbid her to perform because of her race, she began to attack pro-segregation media and writers. When she traveled the world to perform, she spread the word about the United States and how unjust they were. The FBI even kept a file on her because she talked about America with such bitterness, and the State Department would even try to dissuade countries from letting her perform (Schroeder). She fought tirelessly for racial equality and received May 20^th as Baker Day for her efforts by The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. To enforce her opposition to racism, Baker began to adopt many children of all sorts of different backgrounds and races known as the Rainbow Tribe as she said to prove that "children of different ethnicities and religions could still be brothers."

After all she did to show America her opposition, Baker was finally accepted to perform in New York City’s Carnegie Hall in 1973, where she received a standing ovation before her performance had even started. She was overcome with joy that her original home had finally accepted her and her race. She still returned to France, her adopted home, where she continued to perform and finally put on her last show at the age of 68. After her fifty-year career, Josephine Baker died from a seizure on April 12.

Josephine Baker was a truly amazing dancer, but more importantly she used her talents and never ending commitment to overcome racism in the United States. Her determination to end racial discrimination and dedication to her birth country was so strong, she returned to the country that had rejected her time and time again. When the United States turned her down, she served France with renewed vigor. Baker may have been considered the first "Lady Gaga" and one of the first "exotic dancers," but by introducing a new form of entertainment, she was able to become a well-known celebrity in her adopted country and all around the world. Her determination and talents were what made Josephine Baker a hero, and now, more than forty years later, she can still be considered a hero. All her life she fought for justice for blacks and did so by defying the US by dancing unlike anyone the world had ever seen. Her bravery and tolerance showed the way for others to do things that may damage them, but overall benefit everyone else. For all these reasons, Josephine Baker is quite an unusual hero, but definitely a proud one committed to doing what she knows is right.

Works Cited

 Gaines, Steven. "Hungry Heart; The Global Celebrity Adoption Didn't Start with Madonna."

Gale Database. 20 Apr. 2009. Web. 

"Josephine Baker Biography." Lakewood Public Library (Lakewood, Ohio). Web. 3 Dec. 2011.

"The Official Josephine Baker Website." The Official Site of Joesphine Baker. Josephine Baker Estate. Web. 2 Dec. 2011. 

Scholl, Elizabeth. "Josephine Baker Charming Paris." New Moon 2001: 18. Gale Database.

Web. 2 Dec. 2011. .

 "This Week in Black History." Gale Database. 5 June 2000. Web. 3 Dec. 2011.

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