Josephine Baker Research Paper

620 Words3 Pages

Josephine Baker was an outstanding african american woman born June 3, 1906 in St. Louis Missouri. Josephine, being born into poverty, became a highly praised singer and dancer in France. She was regarded as one of the most famous americans living overseas. Throughout her life she did lots of performances with her unique dance costumes, became a civil rights activist, and adopted many children and, as a result, made herself a spot in history. Josephine Baker was known for her unique dance apparel which brung her a lot of attention as a dancer. Although Baker was a already performing many shows, in 1925, she began turning heads as she performed in Danse Sauvage. She also made an immediate impression on her French audience when she performed in La Folie du Jour. During the performance, she wore only a skirt of bananas which caused a turning point in her career. She did her job at keeping her audience entertained and because of that she gained a lot of publicity. The new attention on her made her a known dancer in France and allowed her …show more content…

She did what most other black women would not dare to do. As a dancer and being black Josephine was not supported in racist countries such as the United States and decided to speak up about her challenges. During her time as an activist she spoke up about racism and and worked for the French Resistance. She served as an intelligence liaison and an ambulance driver for the French Resistance, as a result, she was awarded the medal for the Resistance and the Legion of Honor. She became even more praised and respected in France. When she decided to visit the United States again, Josephine was met with more respect. Specifically, more African-Americans started to support her and her life as an entertainer. Because Baker was courageous and outspoken, she was honored by France and well respected by the United