Tired of Jim Crow America, Josephine Baker moved to Paris, where she reinvented herself, becoming an international sensation. The moment the stage lights hit her, Baker dazzled audiences with her charm, humor, and risqué costumes.
She was an unapologetic chameleon, transforming from sexy to downright outrageous throughout her performances.
Much of her singing and dancing worked to comment on anti-Blackness, with Baker creating such intentional absurdity that her non-Black audiences didn’t even realize they were the butt of her jokes.
Offstage, Baker was just as much of a character. She strutted through Paris with her pet cheetah and had numerous partners, including the famed Frida Kahlo.
She was beloved by all, and she used her fame to reinvent herself as a French spy gaining intel about how to take down Hitler’s Nazis. Using performances to hide in plain sight, Josephine serenaded soldiers and diplomats, secretly gathering information about the war.
As the Nazis closed in on France, Baker hid important documents, refugees, and wanted activists in her home. Her tours were used to disguise covert missions.
Baker constantly and publicly reimagined what was possible for Black women outside of the oppressive depiction anti-Blackness had created.
Like Baker, we, too, can reinvent ourselves at any age or time. Caterpillars must transform themselves before becoming beautiful butterflies.