Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker
Josephine Bakerwas an American-born French dancer, jazz and pop music singer, and actress, who came to be known in various circles as the "Black Pearl," "Bronze Venus" "Jazz Cleopatra", and even the "Creole Goddess". Born Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis, Missouri, Baker became a citizen of France in 1937. She was fluent in both English and French...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionDancer
Date of Birth3 June 1906
CountryFrance
land democracy france
I wanted to get far away from those who believed in cruelty, so then I went to France, a land of true freedom, democracy, equality and fraternity.
sex exercise dancing
Sex was a pleasurable form of exercise, like dancing.
beauty thinking secret
The secret to the fountain of youth is to think youthful thoughts.
morning skins half
I spent 30 minutes each morning rubbing my body with half a lemon to lighten my skin.
believe white people
I believe if the white and colored people could get together and be let alone, they would understand each other and consequently love each other.
insults-you paris frenchmen
I like Frenchmen very much, because even when they insult you they do it so nicely.
names yawning recognition
I was learning the importance of names - having them, making them - but at the same time I sensed the dangers. Recognition was followed by oblivion, a yawning maw whose victims disappeared without a trace.
country race blood
My people have a country of their own to go to if they choose... Africa... but, this America belongs to them just as much as it does to any of the white race... in some ways even more so, because they gave the sweat of their brow and their blood in slavery so that many parts of America could become prosperous and recognized in the world.
inspiration white heaven
Let us stop saying 'white Americans' and 'colored Americans,' let us try once and for all saying... Americans. Let human beings be equal on Earth as in Heaven.
kings queens coffee
I have walked into the palaces of kings and queens and into the houses of presidents. And much more. But I could not walk into a hotel in America and get a cup of coffee, and that made me mad.
thinking paris people
I remember when Lindbergh arrived in Paris, I was one of the first persons to know about his landing, because as the French people know that I was born in St. Louis, thinking I would be very proud to announce it to the public, they gave me the news first. I was then starring in the 'Folies Bergere.'
brother hate evil
God dislikes evil, and no happiness can be built on hate. Love one another as brothers.
color promise liberty
...It looked very different from the Statue of Liberty, but what did that matter? What was the good of having the statue without the liberty, the freedom to go where one chose if one was held back by one's color? No, I preferred the Eiffel Tower, which made no promises." ~ Josephine Baker, once she had seen the Eiffel Tower
world made
One dance had made me the most famous colored woman in the world.