Loved in Paris but hated in her home country this entertainer graced the stage with comedic genius and timely dance routines. Many people tried to fit her into a single mold. They said she was too dark and too skinny. Some White American reporters dismissed her skills and tried to tarnish her name by saying that her voice was less than amazing and her routine wasn't original, but just as she did in many of her comedic routines she figuratively stuck out her bum to her adversaries and continued to shine on.
This brilliant star by the name of Freda Josephine Mc Donald was born on June 3, 1906, in St.Louis, Missouri to a single mother. Her father Eddy Carson was a Vaudeville drummer who walked out on them soon after Josephine was born and her mother, (Carry Mc Donald) worked as a laundress. Her mother remarried soon after, and the family began to grow tremendously. Due to the family's financial struggles, little Josephine had to take jobs as a housekeeper and babysitter to wealthy white families where she was often mistreated, and the mothers grossly reminded her to "be sure not to kiss the baby." At the age of 13, she ran away from home and found work as a waitress at the Old Chauffer's nightclub where she met a man by the name of Willie Wells. Their romance seemed to end even faster than it started because within a matter of weeks they were divorced.
By the year 1919, destiny was at her doorstep. During this year, she toured the United States with The Jones Family Band and The Dixie Steppers performing comical skits. Her determination to reach mega stardom wouldn't deter her from love. In 1921, she married a man by the name of Willie Baker "whose name she would keep for the rest of her life despite their divorce years later." When the two performing acts decided to split, Josephine, hungry for an opportunity and the chance at stardom, gave a try at being the new chorus girl for the production "Shuffle Along." Rejected because of her super slim frame and her cafe au lait complexion (she was said to be "too dark") determined, she learned the routine for the chorus line while working as a dresser and lucky for Josephine, a spot in the line opened up and she was the obvious candidate for the position. During show time, she pulled out every trick from her hat. She added a comedic flare that was authentically original, and the audience loved every minute of the show. From eye rolls to funny facial expressions and perfectly calculated clumsy "mishaps" she gained the respect of her colleagues and the hearts of her audience.
In Paris, she was free to be sexual, vulnerable, and ambitious. The shackles that once held her oppressively tight in America could no longer hold her captive in what she would soon call her home. In 1925, jazz and other black music culture was taking Europe by storm. Baker traveled to Paris where she performed "La Revue Negre" at the Theatre des Champs- Elysees. In her dramatic rendition, she shook and gyrated, kicked her legs in the air and wiggled her hips while making silly expressions and wearing only one article of clothing, a feather skirt. The crowd loved it. During the height of her fame, the men wanted to marry her, and the women wanted to be her. She was given labels such as "The Creole Goddess," "The "Black Pearl" and "The Black Venus."
She had dreams that were bigger than life. With the money, she earned from her performances she bought exotic animals such as her Leopard she named Chiquita, a chimp named Ethel, a pig she called Albert and much more.
The year 1936 proved to be a horrible year for her professional career. During the production of Ziegfeld Follies, the American audience weren't too thrilled with her performance. News reporters dished out hurtful and harsh criticism. The New York Times called her "a negro wench" while another news reporter claimed that her voice sounded like a cracked bell. After the painful disappointment, she returns home and in 1947 marries her new lover and French orchestra leader, Jo Bouillon. Together they adopt 12 children from around the world and creating what Josephine calls "The Rainbow Tribe." She wanted to prove to the world, through love and public example that all people can live peacefully together regardless of race or nationality.
She lived her life to the fullest, and as an activist, she fought for the freedom of others. During World War II, she aided the French resistance by delivering secret messages in her music notes and remarkably, sometimes even her underwear and in the 50's and 60's she supported the civil rights movement by participating in demonstrations and walking alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in the march on Washington.
Her last appearance on stage was in1975 at the commemoration of her 50th anniversary of her Paris debut. There in attendance were celebrities like Princess Grace of Monaco and Sophia Loren. A few days later, at the age of 69, she died in her sleep of a cerebral hemorrhage. More than 20,000 people came to pay their respects to the beloved star and the French government honored her with a 21-gun salute. She is the first American to be buried with French military honors.
Josephine Baker was a woman who laughed in the face of her enemies. She challenged and rose the bar for social equality, she aspired to live a life much greater than her humble beginnings, and throughout her journey, she never forgot her roots. She never turned her back on her country. With resilience, she planted seeds of love and hope that will continue to bear fruit for many years later.