Essay On Josephine Baker

Josephine Baker

Without music, our world would be a very quiet place, a chaotic type of place. Music is a direct reflection of the picture of society. Are not we glad that musicians exist in our world? In this world we have different people, different kinds of talent, different races, different kinds of style. One of the greatest things that included in this talent world was Josephine Baker, the first African-American woman to become a world famous entertainer. She impacted our society by her unique style in music and singing. Her leadership and talent was one of the greatest things that a person could contribute in the world. On the contrary, Baker was judged and criticized, and experienced racist reaction by her countrymen. Baker at that

point, did not show any marks of being affected and hurt. Despite of all the things that she had experienced, Baker did not let that drag her down, instead, she turned the bad things into great things.
Freda Josephine McDonald, much known as Josephine Baker, grew up in a poor environment.

Growing up, she is always finding a way to make a living. Her first job was to babysit other people’s kids and work for rich white people, who treated her in a way that is considered inadequate. Baker has had many bad experienced in her early age. At 13 years old, she dropped out of school and applied at The Old Chauffer’s Club as a waitress. Adding to her experienced, she was also a drifter or a bum. However, attracted attention, this lead her to take on for the St. Louis Chorus vaudeville show when she was 15 years old. Her journey began when she show her talent in Louis Chorus vaudeville show. After that, she headed to New York during the Harlem Renaissance, to perform Shuffle Along and The Chocolate Dandies. Baker, however, did not let this chance to go away. She grabbed all the opportunities and offers for her to make her life better. Eventually, Baker created her way up to fame in

Paris.
In Paris, Josephine Baker became famous because of her suggestive dancing and appealing naked on stage. After a successful venture in Europe, Josephine Baker broke her contract and moved back to France to start a new project at Folies Bergere where she starred, surrounding the quality of her future acts. In addition to her projects, Baker starred in many more shows in France and made her first song as a musical star. Considering all of her accomplishments in her early age, Baker’s talent exhibit that African-Americans can do big anywhere and she created a new look in her own race.
In topic of Josephine Baker’s leadership, Baker helped the France during the World War II when France declared war on Germany.

Baker was the collector of all the information about the German troops. She organized the embassies, parties, ministries, and more gatherings and used her charm to entertain them and gather information about them. Her fame allows her to rub shoulders with those high class people. It is her style to be able to report back what she gathered. Baker, furthermore, became the key to spy the German for France. She was a reliable person to defend her country and she contributed herself to help the France during the

war.
After a long journey in France, Paris, and different side of the world, Baker decided to go back in the U.S which was never an easy thing to do. Baker was criticized because of her style in performing on stage by her countrymen. However, her purpose of coming back in the United States was to try the offer for her for a night club celebration in Miami. After that, she continues accepting the offers for her career from left to right. In return, Baker was honored to her new title as: NAACP’s “Woman of the Year”.
Even though Baker earned many support and fame in France, she still could not get away from criticism and racism when she came back in the United States. When she came back from France to United States, Baker and her husband were refused to almost 40 hotels because of her color. She wrote articles about what happened regarding her feelings and thoughts about this. This was the beginning of her leadership for her own race. Her braveness made her fought for herself and she also charged Sherman Billingsley of racism. Baker proved that black people, especially black women can defend and fight for themselves. She was the good example for everyone at that time.
Her contribution in NAACP paid off and in 1951 May 20, NAACP declared that day as Josephine Baker Day. Baker was also the only female speaker representing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. After a while of dealing with racism and criticism, Baker performed in Carnegie Hall and earned a standing ovation from the crowd and known people that were watching her. Baker accomplished a huge and unforgettable moment in her life.
Despite all of her inadequate experienced, Baker did not failed herself on lifting her life up and be a better person. She proved to the world that a poor black girl can create her own huge name and can be a leader for everyone. Baker then died with peace and love from people in France to her own countrymen in the United States.