Josephine Baker

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     Josephine Baker once said, "Surely the day will come when color means nothing more than the skin tone, when religion is seen uniquely as a way to speak one's soul; when birth places have the weight of a throw of the dice and all men are born free, when understanding breeds love and brotherhood." Josephine Baker lived by her inspirational words. She began her life as Freda Josephine McDonald on June 3, 1906 in St. Louis, Missouri to Eddie Carson and Carrie McDonald. She took to music at an early age. An amateur singer and dancer by age eight, she fell in love with the theater a few blocks away, the Booker T. Washington. In 1918, she befriended a woman named Clara Smith, a singer at the Booker T. Washington Theatre. Josephine, at only age 13, joined the group and traveled around with them, performing a comic act. Virtually an instant hit, Josephine Baker became one of the best-known entertainers in both France and much of Europe. Her exotic, sensual act reinforced the creative images coming out of the Harlem Renaissance in America. Although famous for her spirited and eccentric entertainment, Josephine Baker's true heroism was without advertisement or fanfare, rendered by her passionate devotion to humanity, unobtrusive bravery, and enduring inner-strength.

     Josephine Baker's devoted actions led her to the promotion of universal brotherhood. She decided to take a strong stand on racism when she "...began to insist on a nondiscrimination clause in her contracts--and on integrated audiences at her performances" ("Josephine Baker"). She promoted a cause that affected her personally, as well as her fellow performers. Baker continued to insist upon equal opportunity clauses and refused to perform for segregated audiences throughout her entire career. Her continuing actions opened the doors for other performers, unbiased contracts, and their freedom to perform equally to all. Josephine Baker did not shy from dedicating her private life to world unity. "Baker devoted the last years of her life to adopting twelve children of various origins" ("Josephine Baker"). She proved the ability to live in harmony regardless of race and culture. Her "Rainbow Tribe," as she called her adopted children, was an example of the universe existing and acting as one large family. Brotherhood among people of all nations was rooted in Josephine Baker's devotion to universal harmony.

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     Josephine Baker demonstrated immense bravery in her fight for humanity. During the German occupation of Belgium, at the risk of her personal well-being, "Josephine became a Red Cross nurse, watching over refugees" (Josephine Baker). Baker put herself in immediate danger while caring for the wounded and the sick. Her courage was evident as she put others first and herself second in the midst of a devastating war. Josephine Baker's bravery intensified, "[w]hen Germany finally occupied France itself, [and] she worked for the French Resistance as an underground courier, transmitting information pinned inside her underwear'" (Josephine Baker). Joining the Resistance meant daily exposure to danger, as discovery of her undercover work would certainly have led to death. Putting aside her ethnicity, gender, and age, Baker stepped bravely into perilous situations. Aware of the devastation caused by German power, occupation, and extermination of human life, Josephine Baker courageously fought on the side of humanity.

     Josephine Baker's inner-strength allowed her to persevere throughout the many obstacles of her life. While countless other children worried only about school and play, at the age of only eight, "...she began work as a live-in maid for white families... At thirteen, Baker moved out of her parents' house and worked as a waitress to support herself" ("Josephine Baker"). Understanding the necessity for survival, even at such a young age, Baker worked to support herself and her family. Trusting in herself, she began to show the strength of her character. Josephine Baker overcame"...the limitations imposed by the color of her skin, [and] she became one of the world's most versatile entertainers, performing on stage, screen and recordings" ("Selected Websites on Josephine Baker's Life and Works"). During a time of white supremacy, Baker pushed and crawled through the boundaries of racism. She did not permit the color of her skin to stop her from achieving her goals and her dreams. The strength Josephine Baker developed at a young age, and which persisted to the end of her life showed her in an honorable and exemplary light.

Josephine Baker with her

     While being renowned for her theatrical talents and comical persona, Josephine Baker's true heroism stemmed from her unyielding devotion, vehement bravery, and resolute inner-strength. She devoted her life to promoting brotherhood among all citizens of the world. She displayed extraordinary courage as a resister during the Second World War. She persevered in life through the fighting spirit of her inner-strength. Josephine Baker's life is an inspiration in triumph over racial, cultural, and political obstacles. I share the same mentality as Josephine Baker: the desire to put others before one's self and do everything in one's power to make the world a better place. Because we share this philosophy, Baker is not only an inspiration to me but also a true hero. Baker has shown me that simply following a dream is not a means to an end; one must combine a dream with the determination to achieve the dream and ultimately to have a positive effect on the world. In the end, achieving one's dream and making a difference in the world is the true value of a heroic life.

Works Cited

"Josephine Baker." Contemporary Musicians. Vol. 10. Detroit: Gale, 1993. Gale Biography In

            Context. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. Web. 21 Mar. 2012.

Josephine Baker (b. Freda Josephine McDonald) (1906-75). By: John Boman, Editor. Cambridge

            Dictionary of American Biography, 2001, p1, 0p

"Josephine Baker." Europe Since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction. Ed.

            John Merriman and Jay Winter. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2007. Gale Biography

            In Context. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. Web. 28 Mar. 2012.

"Selected Websites on Josephine Baker's Life and Works." Gale Biography in Context. Detroit:

            Gale, 2009. Gale Biography In Context. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. Web. 27 Mar.

            2012