Josephine Baker was not born into riches. She came from a poor background. She was born on  June 3, 1906, as Freda Josephine McDonald. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri in a rundown area. She was adopted. She had no clue who her real father was, and her stepfather never had a stable income. These were the conditions she was brought up in. Carrie, Josephine’s mother, was a performer. To make ends meet she used to go around the town to perform her song and dance act. She could not leave an infant behind so she had no option but to take the baby along. When she was one, even then Josephine was on the stage with her mom. This was her preparation for the future, but there was no knowing. These were her baby steps towards fame.

One can imagine that if Josephine came from such a humble background and grew up among a large number of kids she did not have the fanciest of clothes. Mostly her clothes were dirty, second hand and very basic. Neither she nor people around her could have known that she would get to wear the most gorgeous and fabulous clothes of the time. But how did she get there? And what role did she play in the war?

Marriage As An Escape

At the early teenage of 13, Josephine had developed strong survival instincts. She was working as a waitress at a local restaurant. Her primary concerns at that time were to have a roof over her head and at least 2 meals a day- the bare minimum a person needs to survive. Strong willed as she was, she was still very young- she thought it would be a good idea to get married- it would at least complete the requirements mentioned above. Sadly for her, she was mistaken.

Not Giving Up

The teenager’s first marriage did not work out. At the age of 15, when girls were worried about their appearances, grades and making friends, Josephine could not afford the time to indulge in these luxuries. The 15-year-old married again and worked hard to support herself. She had an idea. She had seen her mother dancing and she had acquired the same talent as her, she decided to make a career in that field. It could have led to her involvement in the war, no one could have expected.

Dancing In The Streets

Josephine had grown up watching her mother dance on the streets. She herself had cultivated the same talent. So there she was, dancing on a street, to earn money- it might not seem like the most glamorous way of earning a living but as luck would have it, Josephine happened to be at the right place at the right time. A St. Louis-based vaudeville show group happened to be in the vicinity and she caught their eye.

Found Opportunity In A Hopeless Place

The group asked her to join them. This was the opportunity Josephine needed- not only did she have a job but a place where she could grow as a dancer and an artist. The dance group was going to perform in the New York City! It was the time of Harlem Renaissance- the rebirth of African- American ways of creativity and culture- jazz, poetry etc. It was Josephine’s time. No sooner was she in New York that she managed to get a job for dancing in Broadway shows. Where her dancing career would lead her, she could not have known.

Long Way To Go

In not so long time Josephine had traveled a long way. For her career, for her independence, she left everything behind. St. Louis, her second husband. She took one last thing from him. Her last name- Baker. Josephine Baker was going to be the next big thing, going to take the industry and the world by a storm and not just with her dancing.

It was 1925 now, Josephine was not even 20 yet when this rising starlet decided to go to Paris. This was going to be the next major turning point not only in her career but also her life. In France, things were not as they were in America. There, Josephine performed in scandalous dance revues in the same Parisian theatres where grand ballets and opera performances took place.