“Josephine Baker.” Hosted by Greg Jenner with Michell Chresfield and
Desiree Burch. You’re Dead to Me, hosted by Greg Jenner, season 2, episode
5, BBC Radio 4, 13 Mar. 2020
Josephine Baker, an American-born French dancer, singer and actress was the first black woman to star in a major motion picture, the 1927 silent film Siren of the Tropics. Her costume in Un vent de folie, a short skirt of artificial bananas and a beaded necklace became a symbol of the Roaring Twenties. During WWII she aided the French Resistance, winning numerous awards, including the Resistance Medal and the Croix de Guerre. In addition, she was named a Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur by Charles de Gaulle. When traveling in the U.S., Baker refused to perform before segregated audiences and was the last person to speak before MLK Jr. ‘s ‘I have a dream’ speech. In 2021, she was inducted into the Panthéon in Paris.
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