Josephine Baker

Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald, naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French entertainer, French Resistance agent and civil rights activist.

Surely the day will come when color means nothing more than skin tone, when religion is seen uniquely as a way to speak one’s soul; when birth places have the weight of a throw of the dice and all men are born free, when understanding breeds love and brotherhood.

Quotes

• I believe in action. … I believe in doing rather than talking. All my life I have maintained that the people of the world can learn to live together in peace if they are not brought up in prejudice. This is why I traveled all over the world to adopt 11 youngsters.
  • "Jo Baker helps civil rights groups : Renowned star 'deeply concerned', Jet Vol. 25, No. 19 (27 February 1964), p. 60

• Surely the day will come when color means nothing more than skin tone, when religion is seen uniquely as a way to speak one’s soul; when birth places have the weight of a throw of the dice and all men are born free, when understanding breeds love and brotherhood.
  • Josephine (1977), Ch. 16 of memoirs written with assistance of Jo Bouillon; also in Women's Words: The Columbia Book of Quotations by Women (1996) edited by Mary Biggs, p. 146

Quotes about Baker

She became part of the hearts and minds of French people. ~ Emmanuel Macron

• She broke down barriers … She became part of the hearts and minds of French people ... Josephine Baker, you enter the Pantheon because while you were born American, deep down there was no one more French than you.
  • Emmanuel Macron, as quoted in "Josephine Baker is the first Black woman to be inducted into France's Pantheon", NPR (30 November 2021)