Josephine Baker, the first black woman to enter the Pantheon

October 2, 1925 was a memorable day, not only for actress Josephine Baker but also for the art-loving public in the city of lights, Paris. During the performance of the Revue nègre in the French capital, Baker confidently stepped onto the stage and from then on, her name was mentioned a lot by the French public.

The famous critic of the time, André Levinson, called Baker "The Black Venus who haunted Baudelaire" (the 19th century French romantic poet). Many rumors were launched to find out the mysteries of this young and impressive black girl. Finally, people knew that Josephine Baker was born in 1906 in Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America, her mother was Carrie Mac Donald, a dancer, and her husband - Eddie Carson - was a percussionist. Their relationship was stormy but eventually gave birth to a Josephine Baker.

Josephine Baker (1906-1975)

When Baker was five years old, the man whipped her horse and chased her away. She became a sinner in her mother's immature mind. Carrie thought that because of the birth of her child, her man had left (!). From then on, Baker's childhood spanned from her grandmother's house to her mother's temporary residence, and then to the big houses of bosses who were willing to order the eight-year-old girl to do anything...

After Eddie left, Carrie quickly found another man and this reunion produced three more children: Richard, Margaret and Willie Mac. Baker, living on the streets of Saint Louis, discovered the magic of dance. From the age of 12, she regularly held performances in the basement of her family's house, using old curtains to cover the "stage". During those performances, she announced to the audience of young children in the same neighborhood: "I learned to dance because I was... cold...".

At 13, Baker worked as a waitress in a jazz bar and married a young man named Willie Wells, only to divorce him a few months later. At 15, her second marriage ended, just as violently as her first.

In the summer of 1925, Baker caught the eye of a film producer named Caroline Dudley who was working in Paris. She was hired for a salary of $2,000 a week, quickly conquering the French audience and becoming one of the most beloved actresses in Paris. At the colonial exhibition held in Paris in 1931, she was crowned queen of this important event.

Baker and her later husband Jo Bouillon

In 1939, World War II broke out, and Baker played an active role in the French people's resistance against Nazi Germany. From Paris, she traveled to North Africa, performing everywhere, and the proceeds went to General De Gaulle's resistance movement. To show gratitude to Baker, an American girl who sacrificed herself for her second homeland, France, the French resistance government promoted her to the rank of second lieutenant in the women's army of the French army and awarded her the Resistance Medal in 1946.

After World War II ended, Baker married conductor Jo Bouillon in 1947 and founded a ... family shelter for disadvantaged children regardless of skin color. This work was not shared by Bouillon, who soon left.

Baker persevered with her unfortunate children, finding every way to raise them. At the age of 69 (1975), Baker agreed to return to the stage at Bobino for a show celebrating her 50th anniversary in the profession. However, just three days later, she collapsed from a cerebral hemorrhage...

A nationwide funeral was held for Baker. 20,000 people stood in silence outside the Madeleine church in Paris, where her coffin lay amid an honor guard. Her half-sister Margaret tearfully said, "I never believed that a black woman would be buried in Paris as a queen."

On November 30, 2021, in a solemn ceremony witnessed by French President Emmanuel Macron, Josephine Baker's coffin was brought into the Pantheon, a place reserved for heroes honored throughout France.

This is a rare honor, as Baker is the first of six black women to receive this honor at the Pantheon. However, in accordance with the wishes of Baker's family, her remains were not brought to the Pantheon, where only a symbolic empty coffin was placed (Reuters news, December 1, 2021). (continued)

(Excerpt from Daily Lives of Famous People in the World , recently published by Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House)

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