2. Born Freda Josephine McDonald
Josephine Baker was born June 3, 1906 in St.
Louis Missouri
Josephine dropped out of school at the age of
12 and lived as a street child
At 15 her Street Dancing attracted attention
and she was recruited for the St. Louis chorus
Vaudeville Show
3. She headed to New York City during the
Harlem Renaissance, performing at the
Plantation Club
She traveled to Paris, France, for a new
venture, and opened in La Revue Nègre on
October 2, 1925 at the Théâtre des Champs-
Élysées, she became an instant SUCCESS !
After a short while she was the most successful
American entertainer working in France
4. Despite her popularity in France, Baker never
Kept the same reputation in America. Upon a
visit to the United States in 1935-36, her
performances received poor opening reviews
5. When WWII came about , Jospehine worked
for the red cross during the occupation of
France.
She Was a member of free France forces, she
entertained troops in Africa and In The Middle
East
She Also worked for the french resistance, she
smuggled messages
6. When WWII came about , Josephine worked for
the red cross during the occupation of France.
She Was a member of free France forces, she
entertained troops in Africa and In The Middle
East
She Also worked for the French resistance, she
smuggled messages hidden in her sheets of music
For this she was awarded the Croix de Guerre and
the Legion of Honor with the Rosette de la
Résistance. Two of the highest military honors in
France.
7. Josephine Baker was married four times
Baker had 12 children through adoption. She bore
only one child herself
Baker raised two daughters, French-born Marianne
and Moroccan-born Stellina, and ten sons, Korean-
born Jeannot (or Janot), Japanese-born Akio,
Colombian-born Luis, Finnish-born Jari (now
Jarry), French-born Jean-Claude and Noël, Israeli-
born Moïse, Algerian-born Brahim, Ivorian-born
Koffi, and Venezuelan-born Mara.
She invited people to see her “Rainbow tribe” to
show that different races can live in harmony
together.
8. on April 12, 1975 Jopsephine was found lying
in her bed surrounded by newspapers with
glowing reviews of her performance. She was
in a coma after suffering a cerebral
hemorrhage. She was taken to Pitié-Salpêtrière
Hospital, where she died, aged 68
