26 Feb 2025 5 min read Blog

Black History Month: Josephine Baker

Learn about the world famous entertainer, WWII spy, and civil rights activist.

Today's Black History Month illustration is of Josephine Baker. She was a world famous entertainer, WWII spy, and activist.

an illustration of josephine baker by alleanna harris — Josephine Baker by Alleanna Harris

Freda Josephine McDonald was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1906. Her parents were both vaudeville performers, but Baker would have to take on odd jobs to help support her family.

a black and white photo of josephine baker in the 20s — Josephine Baker smiling, circa 1928. Courtesy of General Photographic Agency and Getty Images.

At the age of 15, she ran off and joined a dance troupe from Philadelphia. She also got married, took her husband’s last name, dropped her first name and started going by the name Josephine Baker. After acting and dancing in musicals, she moved to New York City and was soon performing at the Plantation Club where she became a crowd favorite.

a black and white photo of josephine baker posing in costume — Josephine Baker posing in her legendary banana skirt. Walery Paris, 1863-1929. Public Domain.

In 1925, Baker went to Paris to dance at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in La Revue Nègre. When the Revue closed, she was given her own show and her career skyrocketed.

a black and white portrait of josephine baker laying on a tiger — Portrait of Josephine Baker. Courtesy of Getty Images.

She was the first Black woman to star in a motion picture and one of the first Black entertainers to achieve acclaim on screen and stage.

Baker became a citizen of France in 1937. When the Germans occupied France during WWII, she worked with the Red Cross and the French Resistance by transporting confidential information by writing with invisible ink on her sheet music. She was awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Legion of Honor with the rosette of the Résistance.

a black and white photo of josephine baker in her french military uniform — Josephine Baker arriving at the Savoy Hotel in London. 1945. Courtesy of Keystone/Hulton Archive and Getty Images.

Baker traveled many times to the US to participate in the civil rights movement. She was the only woman who spoke at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1968.

Josephine Baker speaks on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. 1963. Courtesy of the Francis Miller/The LIFE Picture Collection and Getty Images.

Her time at home forced her to confront segregation and discrimination that she didn’t experience overseas. She often refused to perform for segregated audiences and club owners were forced to integrate for her shows.

Josephine Baker at Lincoln Memorial. 1963. Courtesy of Francis Miller/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images. — Josephine Baker on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. 1963. Courtesy of the Francis Miller/The LIFE Picture Collection and Getty Images.

Along with fighting racial injustices, she was also a trailblazer in her personal life. Baker, who was known to have relationships with both men and women, also moved seamlessly between menswear and womenswear. She was known as a queer style icon.

Josephine Baker in a tuxedo. 1929. Courtesy of Popperfoto and Getty Images. — Josephine Baker in a tuxedo, circa 1929. Courtesy of Popperfoto and Getty Images.

Also, throughout Baker's career, she adopted 13 children from different countries in an effort to show that both racial and cultural harmony could exist. She called her family "the rainbow tribe" and they lived in the Chateau des Milandes in southwestern France.

Josephine Baker and her husband, Joe Bouillon, pose with seven of their children. — Josephine Baker and her husband, Joe Bouillon, pose with seven of their 12 adopted children. Courtesy of Bettmann Archive.

She continued to perform until her death in 1975, during the celebration of the 50th anniversary of her Paris debut.

Josephine Baker in older age. — Josephine Baker at the Chateau des Milandes. Courtesy of Dutch National Archives.

My illustration of Josephine Baker is available as an art print here.

I’ll be back tomorrow with the last illustration and story!
-Alleanna

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