Josephine Baker Research Paper

Paris, France - Josephine Baker, the sensual French dancer, was a completely different person just a few years back. Josephine Baker was born June 3, 1906 in the U.S. to a poor African American family where her dad abandoned her as soon as she was born and her mother remarried. To support her family, she worked as a babysitter for white families who never forgot to tell her, “Don’t kiss the baby.” As a child, she had seen the horrors of racism in her country, so when she was offered a chance to dance in France, she didn’t have a single doubt. In fact, Josephine could recall that that was one of the best days of her life. Her hands shook and her legs trembled with excitement as she entered the plane. Now, Josephine could say she was happy,

she was an accomplished entertainer. In France, she had made a name for herself and became a worldwide entertainer. Josephine entered the french entertainment world at the peak of France’s obsession with American jazz and all things exotic, they were quickly enamored with her. The French always praised her elegance and she channeled that elegance when she received surprising news on a sunny day in September of 1939. “We, the Deuxieme Bureau, think you could make a difference in World War 2. As a dancer, you could easily gain information that the Allied Powers could use.” Josephine used this opportunity to give something back to the country that helped her to become someone, she became a spy.