Josephine+Baker

by Sarah, Grade 5

Josephine Baker was an extraordinary woman. When people kept talking about her she just kept dancing and turned out on top. She did hundreds of plays, movies and shows. When she adopted children from around the world she called them the Rainbow Tribe because all the kids were all different colors. Josephine Baker was born Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis, Missouri on June 3 in1906. Josephine was born to Carrie McDonald and Eddie Carson. Her mother Carrie was a washerwoman and her father was a vaudeville drummer. Soon after Josephine was born Eddie left Carrie and Josephine. Then Carrie met a kind, unemployed man named Arthur Martin. After Carrie and Martin were married they had three children together.

Josephine grew up waiting tables, cleaning houses and baby sitting. One day when Josephine was waiting tables at the Chauffeurs' Club, she met this man named Willie Wells. Soon after they started dating they got married. Not long after they got married they got divorced. When she had gotten married to Willie, Josephine was only thirteen. Throughout Josephine's lifetime she married and divorced three times. She married Willie Baker, Jean Lion and and Jo Bouillion, who helped her raise her twelve adopted children.

Josephine toured the world many times. She sometimes toured with the Jones Family Band and the Dixie Steppers. When the Jones Family Band broke up, Josephine auditioned to be a Dixie Stepper. But she didn't get the part because she was too dark and skinny. But she did get hired as a dresser. She saw everything. She especially saw the dance moves the chorus girls did. So when one of the dancers left, Josephine was the replacement. On the stage, Josephine acted all goofy and clumsy. Her performance was outstanding.

Josephine enjoyed being famous at the Plantation Club, but when she went to Paris she found that her career really started. When she and her partner Joe Alex dance "Dance Sauvage" she made a lot of money. With the money Josephine earned, she mosty bought clothes, jewelry and pets. At one time she owned a leopard, a chimpanzee, a pig, a snake, a goat, a parrot, a fish, three cats and seven dogs.

When Josephine wasn't traveling the world she was adopting children from different countries. She wanted to prove that children from different countries can be brothers and sisters.

On April 8, 1975, Josephine performed at the Bobino theater. Celebrities like Princess Grace and Sofia Loren were there. Days after that she slipped into a coma. Then soon after that she died.

Josephine Baker was an amazing person. She had many friends and enemies. People adored her.