Black History Moment: St. Louis native Freda Josephine McDonald lit up stages form the United States to Paris

ST. LOUIS – A dazzling dancer and civil rights activist, Freda Josephine McDonald was born in St. . Louis and would later light up stages from the United States all the way to Paris.

Josephine Baker grew up in St. Louis in poverty and started working at the tender age of 13. She would go on to indulge in her love for the arts. She went to Paris in 1925, while the eclectic sounds of American jazz were taking over.

An attractive woman, comfortable and confident in her skin, she performed wearing only a feather skirt and made an impression. She went on to become one of the most famous and highly paid performers in Europe.

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Aside from her success in the arts, she came back home to the States, though she was not nearly as accepted on her own turf. She was here to advocate for equality, protesting and boycotting clubs during the civil rights movement alongside Dr. . Martin Luther King Jr..

She recently became the first black woman and entertainer to receive France’s highest honor, becoming inducted into Paris’ Pantheon Monument.

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