Josephine Baker is considered to be one of the most sensual performers of all times.
On April 8th, 1975 this worthy and courageous woman at the age of sixty eight put on a very special presentation at the Bobino Theater in Paris to celebrate her 50th year as an entertainer. Among the many prominent people who were part of the attendees was Princess Grace of Monaco and Sophia Loren. Just a few days afterwards, the living legend came to an end when Josephine went into a coma from a cerebral hemorrhage and died on April 12 of the same year. The funeral procession that followed her death through the streets of Paris was of awesome proportions.
Josephine Baker was the first American woman who received military honors in France. She was interred in Monaco.
I can understand the frustration many black entertainers in those days felt. Can you imagine playing to an all white audience, you being the black performer possibly earned as much as any in the public if not more and then when the performance was over you had to haul ass to the ghetto because you couldn’t even stay around to eat at a restaurant or sleep in any of the hotels?
Josephine Baker was one of many who took to exile because they simply could not accept being discriminated. That tragically was not the same for most American blacks; they had to stay and endure the indignities of apartheid and the hatred of bigotry.
To say that this is over is not accurate, as there are still pockets of discrimination and hatred left in this country. It is curious to observe that these areas of racism exist in the same “Red States” that voted Republican in the last few elections. Things are getting better for blacks, slowly and they are way overdue.
Now consider this: When you look at racism in America and homophobia, the same pockets of racial divides exist alongside sexual discrimination. Racism and homophobia walk hand in hand under the Republican umbrella. That is why I find it hard to understand why some black folks are also homophobic, taking into consideration what they have been through. But it is about religion and that is the most unreasonable of all motivations. Blacks know about discrimination and in theory they don’t want it for somebody else, but are unwilling to step up to the plate in solidarity with LGBT people. That is those who are extremely religious, or Evangelicals.
Just as it is very hard even to this day to be black in Louisiana, Alabama or Utah, it is even harsher for LGBT people. I think that blacks should re-think this religion based discrimination.
Her Quotations:
< "One day I realized I was living in a country where I was afraid to be black. It was only a country for white people. Not black. So I left. I had been suffocating in the United States... A lot of us left, not because we wanted to leave, but because we couldn't stand it anymore... I felt liberated in Paris."
"Beautiful? It's all a question of luck. I was born with good legs. As for the rest... beautiful, no. Amusing, yes."
"I like Frenchmen very much, because even when they insult you they do it so nicely."
< "Since I personified the savage on the stage, I tried to be as civilized as possible in daily life."
Marian Anderson, one of the most celebrated black singers of all time was denied lodging while in Washington after a performance. First lady Eleanor Roosevelt came to her support.
SOURCE: http://images.google.com/images
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