Josephine Baker Biography

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"I have never really been a great artist. I have been a human being that has loved art, which is not the same thing. But I have loved and believed in art and the idea of universal brotherhood so much, that I have put everything I have into them, and I have been blessed." This quote was said by Josephine Baker in a 1975 interview. Josephine Baker was one woman who could do it all: singer, dancer, military veteran, activist, and civil rights activist. Josephine Baker is considered one the America's heroes. Her history and background are unique, her accomplishments were important, and the legacy she left behind continues to inspire everyone.
Freda Josephine McDonald was a poor, little black girl from East St. Louis, Missouri during the …show more content…
Freda saw people murdered because of their skin tone as a child. The fact that she shared the skin tone with the deceased was traumatizing. At 13, her mother married her off, but she didn’t want that life, so the self-taught singer and dancer joined a vaudeville troupe at 14. At 15, Freda Josephine McDonald was no more when she married William Baker, becoming Josephine Baker for the rest of her life. According to Theile’s article, “… at 15 she married her second husband, William Baker, the son of a Philadelphia restaurant owner. She would later keep his name, because she wanted to be known as Josephine Baker. She worked hard, danced on Broadway and was determined to become a star” (Adopting the World). The name Freda McDonald was for an underprivileged, young colored girl from the south and Josephine didn’t want to be that girl. She wanted to be Josephine Baker, the star. At 19, Josephine Baker introduced herself to Paris, and it absolutely loved her. Theile …show more content…
Her two greatest accomplishment over her career and lifetime are her Rainbow tribe and her WWII war efforts. To make a statement against racism, Josephine created the Rainbow Tribe. According to Adopting the World: Josephine Baker’s Rainbow Tribe, “She wanted to make a gesture of humanity, she said, explaining that she wanted to "adopt five little boys" -- one from each continent” (Theile). The original plan was for the 5 boys to grow up as brothers to show the meaning of brotherhood to the world What ended up happening was 12 total children of different races and nationalities were adopted. Although the children lived in a castle, and loved each of their siblings, life wasn’t perfect for the Rainbow Tribe. Theile’s article harbored the quote, “‘She was too possessive,’ [Jari Baker] says. ‘We weren't allowed to develop the way we wanted to… She didn't want us to grow. Maybe she was afraid that we would out-grow her.’” (Adopting the World). She had the children play where they can be viewed by the public and the press, “like pet monkey”, Jeri, the 3rd adopted child of the Rainbow Tribe, says. She wrote up her envisioned futures for each child, saying where they would live and their helpful occupation in society. She originally wanted boys because she didn’t want romantic attachment among siblings. When Jeri was found being gay at 15, she sent him away so he didn’t affect his siblings. Apart from the lovely and craziest part of
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