Josephine Baker, born Freda Josephine McDonald on June 3, 1906, in St. Louis, Missouri, was a renowned American-born French dancer, singer, and actress. She rose from poverty to become one of the most celebrated performers in France, particularly during the 1920s. Baker was the first Black woman to star in a major motion picture, appearing in the 1927 French silent film "Siren of the Tropics." Her performances at the Folies Bergère in Paris, especially her iconic banana skirt dance, made her a symbol of the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties.

Baker became a French citizen in 1937 after marrying French industrialist Jean Lion. During World War II, she worked with the French Resistance and was later honored with the Resistance Medal, the Croix de Guerre, and was named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by General Charles de Gaulle. Beyond her entertainment career, Baker was a civil rights activist who refused to perform for segregated audiences in the United States. She adopted 12 children from various ethnic backgrounds, calling them her "Rainbow Tribe."

In 1968, after being offered an unofficial leadership role in the civil rights movement following Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, she declined due to concerns for her children's safety. Josephine Baker passed away on April 12, 1975, in Paris, France, and was buried with military honors. In 2021, she was inducted into the Panthéon in Paris, becoming the first Black woman to receive this honor.