Josephine Baker became a pilot for the French Forces Libres in Morocco. Courtesy: Consulate General of France in Miami
Key Takeaways:
Josephine Baker, an iconic entertainer, activist, and World War II spy, recently became the first Black woman, American-born citizen, and performer to be honored at France's Pantheon monument.
Born in St. Louis, Baker found immense success in Paris, where she became a French citizen to escape U.S. racism and became a symbol of the Jazz Age.
During WWII, she distinguished herself as a French Resistance agent, hiding people and flying missions while discreetly relaying intelligence to the Allies, earning her France's Legion of Honor.
Entertainer, activist, and World War II spy Josephine Baker made history this week when she became the first Black woman to be honored at the Pantheon monument in France.
Born in 1906 in St. Louis, Missouri, Baker rose to fame in the 1930s as a singer and dancer and became a symbol of the Jazz Age and Harlem Renaissance.
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