Artist, activist and anti-Nazi spy Josephine Baker honored at France's Pantheon

ABC News’ Ibtissem Guenfoud reports on the impact and legacy of the U.S.-born actress Josephine Baker as she becomes the first Black woman to receive France’s highest honor.
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#ABCNLPrime #JosephineBaker #FrancePantheon #Actress #Activist #AntiNaziSpy #Legacy

[@jcreburg8281]

I've loved her since I was a child and I continue to love her today I'm so happy that she is honored in most wonderful way

[@ragazzi25]

“You know, friends, that I do not lie to you when I tell you 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. And when I get mad, you know that I open my big mouth.” Josephine Baker

[@kimberlycornelius7911]

A true patriot

[@yvettemarshallTWN]

Wonderful! Vive La Baker (as she is called in France)! I lived and studied and loved in France and as a Black girl, teenager, I felt tremendous welcome and like home (except in French!). In the Basque Country of Pau, I lived with a lovely gentleman named Roger who said as a boy he’d never forget the sight of the Black American soldiers who liberated his town marching through and he was happy to return the favor of welcome to me. What goes around comes around! 🇫🇷🇺🇸🥰

[@chrisevans9688]

Chris Evans love the first time that you power me now that new one is good news people would love kids and family is good news and my life is good news

[@yvettemarshallTWN]

@@chrisevans9688 What I take from your message is GOOD NEWS and that is very good! 🗽Life, LIBERTY and the pursuit of HAPPINESS. ❤️

[@chrisevans9688]

@@yvettemarshallTWN chris evans cool good luck we back in time that now you just like you power just hope you feel like you would do it this morning my life of the day and then love you my friend good news and we will see you soon hope you can go out for you my girl friend is coming back we me now that new one is good news

[@yvettemarshallTWN]

@@chrisevans9688 wow, stream of consciousness that has a good vibe! omg, change is afoot (the good foot!)!!! 🌈🔥🌻🪴🎎 Princess Mako❤️Kai

[@chrisevans9688]

@@yvettemarshallTWN chris evans good morning I will be back in time before we get go out and do my best job would feel good day and time do you need anything let go out for the first time that you power just hope black Americans will people who you power for you you can go out to eat now and get back to you tomorrow and Friday night

[@My2CentsYall]

MAN COME ON it was not about her dance... she is not being honored for her performances it was for her ability to move encrypted data. I am pleased for her to be recognized because they would have definitely killed her if she got caught no questions. I coming to her defense because in order to make it she had to play to what ever audience.

[@kellym.6777]

Oh she was definitely honored for her art too, including her dance. That's what brought her to France to begin with that's what allowed her to become huge in Europe and specifically France. The president alluded to that during his speech, and his speech was awesome btw he basically narrated her whole life from Missouri to Monaco, from her art and dancing to her voice and her heroism during the war. Now concerning the dance the way he framed it is that she made fun of stereotypes during her performances, he implied that she used those stereotypes to make caricatures out of them and flip the script but if you ask some black French people...it's debatable, some like this young man would argue that dancing half naked with bananas while making faces in front of 1920s white audiences ain't deep at all.

[@kingb3]

​@@kellym.6777 She went to France to escape the "land of the free", the overabundance of stupid, racism and hatred in the USA was too much, couldn't blame her.

[@kellym.6777]

@@kingb3 I can't blame her either. She lived and went through the absolute worst. But France is not all black/white either (no pun intended) It's still a colonial force as I'm typing this. And there are pending issues that French black people from African or Caribbean descent have to face everyday. There are riots and tensions in the French Caribbean right now, literally. It's a lot of greyish areas. Such is life. Interestingly enough when Josephine received her medals after WW2, African soldiers who were enrolled to fight under the French flag were barred from parading in Paris on the Champs Elysees after the war was won because "it wouldn't look good" to have black soldiers on these Parisian streets.

[@johnbattle7518]

@@kellym.6777 My problem with armchair historians is the judgement of a woman who grew up at the turn of the century USA helped fight the Notsees (they block that word sometimes) using 21 century views. Fredrick Douglas married a white woman (not that there's anything wrong with that) but when you look back at history you will often times find that our greatest icons are fallible humans who are far from perfect.

[@Sunrise6410]

Thank you this comment! For crying out loud, she was a 19 or 20 year old woman, leaving America and entering into a country where she finally felt accepted as a human being! I am looking at her through the lens of someone leaving horrific racial trauma and found success overseas where she felt loved. Ugh ... armchair historians. They are the worst and highly judgemental, especially of black women.

[@hugogutierrez9250]

She was born here, helped the allies, & yet in America we didn’t even learn about her in history class.

[@Pablo24000]

Joséphine Baker was a few American who spoke French perfectly, when you decide to move and live in an other country, you have to embrace its culture, to integrate with the local population and be able to speak the local language…….if not you have to leave these country and go to an other country. These rule is the rule for all foreigners living in any country.

[@thatarizonadude]

What was Baker supposed to do? She’s a hero of her era

[@clio2rsminicup]

She born US but she died 100% French. --- Her heroic acts and her military engagement for the benefit of France at war - JB to the head of the French intelligence services at the start of WW2: "France did what I am, France gave me everything, I in turn am ready to give everything to France. You can dispose of me as you do will until my life that I give to France. " From the start of WW2, JB actively engaged in the war for the benefit of the military intelligence of her (new and second) country (I recall that she was naturalized as a French citizen in 1937). During "the funny war" from 1939 to June 1940, she made free song tours for the benefit of the French army, and raised funds to aid the war effort. After the sad defeat of June 1940, she refused until the Liberation in 1944 to perform and sing in front of the German Nazi occupiers. But above all, she actively continued to be a French intelligence agent taking advantage of her notoriety and her knowledge of a famous artist but now within the internal French Resistance for the benefit of the Free French armed forces and General De Gaulle based in England and French Africa. To thank her, in 1943, General De Gaulle himself offered her the emblem of Free France, a gold jewel in the shape of a Cross of Lorraine. And her involvement in the French resistance from the inside was not a walk in the park, she simply risked her life! For example, by hiding French resistance fighters, French and foreign Jews in his castle. They reported after anecdotes of German soldiers searching the castle while they (French resistance fighters) were hidden deep in the cellars and dungeons of the castle! Excerpts from President Macron's speech for JB's entry into the Pantheon: - "You were born abroad but basically there is no more French than you". - "You loved France more than anything ..." - And the end of the speech: "And when at the end of your career, adapting the words of one of your greatest successes, you proclaim" My country is Paris ", each of us this evening sings this refrain sounding like a hymn to love: My France is Joséphine." While with her wealth, after June 1940 she could have left far from France, she chose to stay and fight in the Internal Resistance, risking her fortune and her life! A Grande Dame, a Grande Frenchwoman of the 20th century! She fully deserves to enter the Pantheon! Especially for a Dame who was not born French but who became French in the depths of her soul and her sacrifices for France. In France we summarize that by the sentence "Française par les actions et le sang versé pour la France" -> French by actions and bloodshed for France. She is an example to follow for all French citizens of the 21st century. In a private capacity, I'm even happier because I'm one of the proud French citizens who signed a petition a year and a half ago for her to enter the Pantheon! And now to the big misfortune of the Western world and of France in particular, you are trying to poison Western societies and France in particular with your cancer that is Anglo-Saxon society and WASP... A society which is not a real national population of living together but a series of communities closed on themselves, often even racist, who live next to each other! You are the dumbass of this world. France is not your cancer of Anglo-Saxon society! Modern France was built on one people and one nation living TOGETHER in one and the same community: The French community which has always been enriched by new contributions to make it a new single national entity richer than the previous one. ! In France we are not black, we are not Catholic, we are not Protestant, we are not Muslim, we are first and foremost the rest French and French citizen! JB is not black, is not Catholic or Protestant, stop wanting to inject us with your disease and current cancer of Anglo-Saxon society, JB is above all FRENCH, A FRENCH CITIZEN and a French heroine!

[@clio2rsminicup]

And now to the big misfortune of the Western world and of France in particular, you are trying to poison Western societies and France in particular with your cancer that is Anglo-Saxon society and WASP... A society which is not a real national population of living together but a series of communities closed on themselves, often even racist, who live next to each other! You are the dumbass of this world. France is not your cancer of Anglo-Saxon society! Modern France was built on one people and one nation living TOGETHER in one and the same community: The French community which has always been enriched by new contributions to make it a new single national entity richer than the previous one. ! In France we are not black, we are not Catholic, we are not Protestant, we are not Muslim, we are first and foremost the rest French and French citizen! JB is not black, is not Catholic or Protestant, stop wanting to inject us with your disease and current cancer of Anglo-Saxon society, JB is above all FRENCH, A FRENCH CITIZEN and a French heroine!

[@lindseycarribean5113]

Congrats to this icon.

[@GdHr-oz5ph]

Amazing.♥️

[@XX-gy7ue]

SHE WAS/IS A GREAT STAR !

[@mikakaye8507]

She’s a true inspiration truly incredible woman ❤️

[@sanskretro]

I'm from Texas. I'm an ADOS that has always organically enjoyed American Black history. I first learned about Josephine Baker from my stanning of The Supremes (both Mary Wilson and Diana Ross) desired to portray her in a movie. I finally deep-researched her when I was taking French in college. Fell in love...again... 😍 💃 A real patriot. I like to thank in an egocentric, self-centered way that me (and perhaps a select others in the world) are responsible for things like this taking place due to our honest, heartfelt feelings about people or things. Change w/o lifting a finger. Just honestly being moved. We (up out of ghettos, slums and trailer parks) feel a **real*** way and the universe alerts others to follow suit... ¡Voila! What an honor this is!

[@jamilafever8110]

Well deserved and Well overdue.

[@ravenc1298]

Love the Black Paris Walks part of the interview.

[@Decoy1138]

This is a informative segment. Keep it up!

[@emiliobello2538]

We need a movie about her

[@johnbattle7518]

There is, from the 90s I believe HBO. The Josephine Baker Story

[@lyriccole9230]

Yaay🤗💪♥️😍🥰😘 so Spike Lee when are you going to make a movie about JoJo? I want to see that banana dance and all her heroism recreated on the big screen IMAX and I want to see Mya play JoJo... not that any other movie producer couldn't do it but I know you'll put some umh on it 😄

[@japnikki]

beautiful woman and legacy!

[@erickdaza5020]

In a world full of Edith Piafs, be a Josephine Baker

[@AuxaneST]

Piaf did not collaborate. Stop pissing on another heroine that Baker herself revered to acclaim Baker.

[@rudyvargas9518]

Josephine baker is a blessing to humanity ....using her life and dedication to freedom should not be used to push the pathetic politics of out present day far left race idiots...josephine baker a blessing to our world hisfory....our bronze angel ..

[@silviualex3072]

I just wanted to see Baker Pantheon lol spotlight

[@XX-gy7ue]

VIVE JOSEPHINE BAKER VIVE FRANCE

[@quinnfields9531]

Amazing ❤❤❤

[@jboss729]

Yes! My favorite lady.

[@jessebutler4041]

The guide forgets how brutal the Gestapo were when using today's BLM/Muslim context.

[@co0ki3M0NstAr]

The woman was a spy putting her life on the line for what she believed in against Nazis and this guy yeah she's still embraced the banana skirt no it was in her wardrobe they had her wear it she had to move so the banana suede it got her some hype but she didn't embrace it. There's wearing something and that is not the same as endorsing it or embracing the stereotypes that that banana skirt had she wanted to be on stage she wanted to perform as soon as she got a little more power to her voice she had many different costumes but you're not talking about that. Ughhhh the disrespect

[@iamaminow]

Shon by the US loved by France

[@gcboy16]

Civil rights activists

[@jaysoncarter5093]

Did you know that Bette Boop was based on Josephine Baker. Love her to pieces.

[@Pou1gie1]

Actually, research says Bette Boop's look and mannerisms were based on Esther Lee "Baby Esther" Jones, a Black woman performer from Chicago.

[@mnm2007]

So no big Hollywood biopics yet ?

[@feliciaboston6365]

Yes there was by Lynn Whitfield

[@924MUSIC]

Kevi is handsome as hell

[@harleyquinn5774]

Wasn’t Josephine Baker a survivor of the Black Wall Street massacre?

[@kellym.6777]

I think she witnessed and escaped riots and lynching in St Louis Missouri.

[@thaleis]

She was only 9-10 years old ar the time but yes. She decided to leave St Louis for New York as a young woman but didn’t last long there either. She came to Cherbourg then Paris quickly because of the segregationist laws applied everywhere in USA.

[@Pou1gie1]

@2:05 I definitely don't think JB can be blamed for the creation of stereotypes about Black people. But I rather think that she utilized stereotypes to showcase her art form and make fun of the stereotypes themselves. For instance, when Mel Brooks utilizes stereotypes in his work, people can him a genius. But when Black or brown ppl do it, like JB, people don't see it in the same way.

[@MsMelyjean]

La vie en rose

[@monie2514]

It's nice to give somebody finally they just do only after their died.👎🏼 when you could have gave them they're just due while she was alive.‼️ the racism that went on during that time was horrible. and in humane but thank God she has a name for herself Long live a gorgeous lady. Rip Josephine Baker 👌🏼🎇🎊🥰💯‼️😇🥃💫👌🏼😎📺😉✔️💫

[@kellym.6777]

She was very successful, loved and respected during her lifetime and received the highest honors from France's most reveled president for her deeds as a soldier while she was young and alive: she was a spy, a pilot, used her art for the troupes and even sent coded messages through her performances to defeat the enemy, she protected and hid people in her castle. Now the Pantheon is a place where French national heroes are buried, to honor and thank them. She died in 1975 her remains are not in France but in Monaco where she lived at the end of her life but the French government organized this ceremony to honor her. It's a very very very rare occasion that happen to a selected few since the 18th century but as I said they did not wait for her death to start things she lived a very full life.

[@shadowseer07]

Why was everyone at that time so extra, and beautiful?? We’re all so trashy now.🤷🏽‍♀️

[@vcp365]

Yup. No class in show business anymore

[@mikebryant8507]

Conservatives will try to cancel this.

[@Laurent_08]

Mike Bryant No, it's the exact opposite, it's the "woke" who are criticizing it, they say our government and president use in a political way in regards of racism polemics. Which is very stupid (like almost everything the woke say). You don't know what you're talking about.

[@cgleisberg3355]

Not in France. ... I live here

[@JoseSilva-ip5xi]

🇨🇵🥇🏅🎖️🌹💐🙏🙏👮🏿‍♀️🇨🇵 Thank God that she was recognize ,my Héroe our world heroe ,the sad part that her own country of birth turn there back on her shame on the USA.

[@bobinobaker]

The family should allow that her coffin be moved here. Josephine has her place for eternal rest there.

[@voraciousreader3341]

“African-American ‘creatives’....” What on Earth is a “creative”?? Can this young woman not discriminate between artists and intellectuals, and refer to them as such?? If anybody had called James Baldwin a “creative,” rather than one of the greatest writers, speakers, and intellectuals in American history-of any race-I fear his invective would have burned his or her head right off!!

[@lilspliffster88]

We need a good legit movie bout her time in ww2 it would be amazing

[@johnbattle7518]

The Josephine Baker Story

[@bobinobaker]

La famille devrait pourtant l'autoriser que son cercueil soit transporté ici. Joséphine y a sa place pour le repos éternel.

[@franklinclips5713]

Hello

[@franklinclips5713]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJTdhnSjedyLj9Gcttps://kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKLOg4SnZ7t-abs

[@iloveTrump45]

We need this patriot now more than ever now that we have our own izaN in the White House.

[@isadorasmith6320]

Cheeto Man is the facist, fraud, liar, adulterer, scammer of the American people

[@charles-antoineturcotte7608]

Pour nous les français, trump est un nazi…

[@dabguy0018]

@@charles-antoineturcotte7608 Très vrai

[@isadorasmith6320]

@@charles-antoineturcotte7608 I only wish the American people could see Cheeto Man for who he truly is. They have turned their backs to the truth and have openly embraced his rhetoric

[@aagesdotter]

"endemic racism" ? Seriously ?

[@co0ki3M0NstAr]

She has nothing to do with the death of George Floyd and even with all her success she could not stand up against the monster force that racism was then, hell we're still having the battle today and you want to demean her even though she stood in the face of racism and still found success. Smfh

[@johnbattle7518]

Stop comparing what she went through with today, that is garbage. Racism exists but it isn't systematic. Just an agenda to keep blacks emotionally abgrey and obedient

[@co0ki3M0NstAr]

@@johnbattle7518 you're a fool if you think it's not systematic. Since there's no arguing with fools like you go get screwed buddy

[@johnbattle7518]

@@co0ki3M0NstAr You can't point out 1once of systematic racism. I'm black and got some white liberal telling me how oppressed I am. Why don't you mind your own business.

[@juanfepenarivera2013]

this life is temporary a nice news is believing in Jesuchrist you have the salvation and eternal life pray for your family and the persons . only Jesuchrist save read in the holy bible Romans 10 : 9 and 10 , St John 14 : 6 , St John 3 : 16 , St John 1 : 12

[@Milo19970]

As beautifull as it is we all know that Macron only did this to score political points

[@jean-claudevoillemin4618]

Process for this honoring began in 2013. Of course, in a way , Macron is "using" it now , but she will survive him in french history.

[@gbincentpourcent5543]

It’s funny to see how anybody else going to the pantheon is just a great and deserved tribute but a black woman ? It’s all about politics and scoring points. Nothing to do with her being a war hero, a civil rights activist and so on… so predictable 🙄