Josephine Baker Research Paper

1920’s were a period of great turmoil and contrast for the USA. In the aftermath of the war people were determined to have fun. The average working week dropped from 47.7 to 44.2 hours, and average wages were raised by 11%. So people had more leisure time much of this spare time and money was channeled towards entertainment. The Jazz Age was a feature of the 1920s ending with The Great Depression. When jazz music and dance became popular, this occurred particularly in the United States, but also in Britain, France and elsewhere. Jazz music became an obsession among young people. The entertainment industry boomed and so did people. Such as the infamous Josephine Baker.

Josephine Baker had a challenging childhood. Freda Josephine McDonald also

87). Her exotic beauty generated nicknames like “Black Venus”, “Black Pearl”, and creed goddess (Project). She had transformed herself into a sophisticated, elegantly, attired French star. (Gates Pg.40). Josephine became the most photographed woman in the World and a subject of famous Parrison painter and sculptors. (Rollyson). She wrote her first autobiography “Les Memoires de Josephine Baker “published in Paris in 1927. (Alexander. Pg. 86.). Josephine became one of Europe’s most popular and highest paid performers (Josephine Baker). Her immense popularity afforded her a comfortable salary which she spent mostly on clothes, jewelry and pets. (Project). She owned a leopard, chimpanzee, a pig, snake, a goat, a parrot, parakeets, fish, three cats and seven dogs. (Project). Sensing her shows were tiring of frenetic antics, Baker left Paris. (Gates. Pg.40) Capitalizing on her success in France, Baker sang professionally for the first time in 1930. (Emery. Pg. 230). She began recording for Columbia Records in and starring in two films, Zou-Zou and Princess Tam-Tam. (Gates. Pg.40).In 1934 she successfully tackled light opera in the starring role of Offenbach’s Operetta La Creole. (Gates. Pg.40). She also faced a rising tide of fascism that advocated white supremacy. (Rollyson). Josephine was an outspoken critic of racism and gender discrimination long before such

(Emery. Pg. 230). She continued to dance in her 1951 appearance included the Black Bottom. (Emery. Pg. 230). In the 1950’s and 60’s Josephine devoted herself to fighting segregation and racism in the U.S (Josephine Baker). She became an advocate of Civil Rights participating in demonstrations and boycotting segregated clubs and concert venues. (Josephine Baker). In honor of her effects, the NAACP eventually named May 20th “Josephine Day” (Josephine Baker). She was a lifelong advocate for racial justice throughout the World. (Rollyson). By the mid-sixties, Josephine was revered worldwide (Alexander. Pg. 87).In 1963 she participated alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in the march on Washington and among the many notable speakers that day. (Josephine Baker). On April 8, 1975, after decades of rejection by her countrymen and a lifelong spent dealing with racism, she premiered at the Bobino Theater in Paris where she performed a medley of routines from her 50 years of performing career, at age 68 she was greeted with a standing ovation. She was so moved by her reception that she wept openly before her audience. The show was a success and marked Baker’s comeback to the stage. (Josephine Baker). The reviews were among her best ever.