Life After Josephine Baker

Josephine Baker passed away in France on April 12, 1975. Days before her death, she celebrated her 50 years of show business at the Bobino. When the public was informed about Baker’s passing, more than 20,000 mourners lined the streets for her funeral at the Église de la Madeleine (France24, 2021). The amount of people that came out to pay respects shows that Baker died respected and loved by Paris. In 2021, Baker continued to make a change and an impact on Paris. After more than 37,000 people signed a petition, President Emmanuel Macron of France inducted Josephine Baker into Panthéon. Many people inducted into the Panthéon were notable figures and aligned with French morals (Frence24, 2021). Baker was the first Black woman and one of six women to enter the Panthéon. Baker being selected to be in the Panthéon is a long overdue achievement because she brought pieces of Black culture to Paris and exposed French people to Blackness. Also, Baker was a spy for the French resistance, and she actively worked towards fighting against Nazi Germany. Josephine Baker was originally from Saint Louis, but Paris became her forever home, and she was loved by so many. Baker is one of the most well-known Black women in Paris because of her forever-lasting impact on Paris (Whiting, 2015, pg 13).