Baker, Josephine
1906–1975 · Contribution: 1919–1975
Dancer, singer, actress, French Resistance operative, civil-rights activist
Internationally celebrated entertainer, French military intelligence operative and Resistance supporter, decorated Free French servicewoman, and civil rights activist.
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Quick facts
- Born
- 1906, St. Louis, Missouri
- Active since
- 1919–1975
- Category
- Arts, Music & Entertainment Tech
- Best known for
- Became an internationally celebrated entertainer in FranceServed French military intelligence during World War IIWorked with the French Resistance against Nazi GermanySmuggled intelligence using her celebrity and international travelReceived the Croix de Guerre and French Resistance MedalBecame a civil-rights activist in the United StatesEntered France's Panthéon in 2021
Impact on the world
Baker transformed celebrity into a weapon against fascism. Her fame gave her access and freedom of movement that conventional intelligence officers often lacked, allowing her to gather and transport information for the French Resistance and Free France while Nazi Germany occupied much of Europe. Her life also connected…
An alternative history
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Sources
- Exact sourceOpen
L’Ordre de la Libération: Joséphine Freda Baker
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