Josephine Baker: The Story of an Awakening 

Thank you DW i am a senior black woman who grew up in the south i didn't know all of Josephine Baker's story now i know more thanks to you. She as a wonderful brave talented woman there should be a major movie about her story❤

I saw. Josephine. Baker in. Cuba in 1966,when she was 60 years old,she had plenty of voice and charisma, it's something that I treasure for the rest of my life.

Racism is traumatizing. She was an insightful, sensitive and strong willed woman. I admire her courage and I hope she was proud of herself. RIP Sweet Lady.

As a dancer and student of history, Josephine Baker’s story is one that has always interested me. What I think is remarkable and yet sad is that she was able to break barriers in Europe that the U.S., to this day, pathetically remain. The disrespect, misogyny and racism has never gone away and the movement to eliminate diversity in education and hiring should be a red flag of what is to come. Thank you for posting her story! Remarkable lesson the US has failed to learn.

Thank you for this sensitive, nuanced story! Seldom do we get to hear of Josephine Baker´s journey as an African American woman in search of her freedom and finally fighting for that freedom for others.

So talented, brilliant, beautiful, and too often underappreciated. Thanks to all who keep such women's stories alive.

As a guide in Paris from 1998 until 2020 (COVID-19), I was so ready and happy to share my love for her... especially for the Black Americans willing to visit or see the places she went to, or for the White Americans who had no clue who she was. Never too late to learn, as long as it is done with respect and empathy. As a French person, I am proud she felt at home in my country. As a simple human being who travelled the world since the age of 9, I still hope we all could respect each other, and the Planet.

Disgusting how the US treated her! The "land of the free", what a joke..

I loved this documentary. She was a natural. Never took dance or voice lessons I presume, but she nailed both. Born an artist.

She performed in. Cuba,so many times,starting in 1951,cuban people adored her, including my aunt. Ofelia,who was a great fan of. Josephine,actually,my aunt,was the one who invited me in 1966,to see miss. Baker,in the national theater,it was her last visit to. Cuba. Lucky me!!! Josephine. Baker is in my mind forever and ever,something,that I treasure very,very much.

What a wonderful woman! It's really sad, that she had to go all the way to another country, just to feel accepted by society. I've heard Josephine Baker's name being mentioned many times before, but I never really knew much about her history. Thanks! DW History and Culture. For bringing to my attention, all the great achievements of this phenomenal, Black Female Icon. She was a true inspiration to many of all races. That's really beautiful! RIP Josephine Baker! We'll always love you!

She looked fantastic in whatever she wore! An incredible, athletic, healthy, energetic, feminine beauty!

I'm not sure why, But I am getting choked up over this. What an inspiring woman she was.

I've never seen a documentary of her until today. I heard about it and saw some pictures and short videos but this is the firs time I see a longer video about here. Dr Cornel West always mention her when talking about the black tradition. I knew she fought as a spy in WWII and my interest grew the more i knew about her. But this? this is masterpiece! These videos are amazing! Shut out to the people who gathered this material. Great job! Her moves where so mesmerizing. Her charisma, grace and sensuality something I've never seen coming. Had I been alive then I would have fall for her in a second. Beautiful black woman oh lala 😍😍😍

I live in France and experience racism here as a black woman so I think that people do not realise that racism is just different from one country to an other but remains racism.

I always admire the self made life and success of this woman. What a life, what fierceness. She is in the Olympus of people who need to be admired.

Thank you verry much for such a detailed and lenghty documentary on Josephine. I'm french and I knew some of but not at all what had happened to her when she went back to the US. It solves the mystery as to why it was said that a lot of americans had no idea who she was when in France everyone does. Sadly France is actually quite a racist country but they practice colour blindness and also verry important, black americans are always treated differently from native blacks. And also white people in French made sure for several centuries that black people in french colonies would stay out of European french soil. Who know how things would have turned out if like americans they would have been forced to all live together on one land. French history and its relationship to minorities and out side territory land is rather a complicated one so I can get into detail but at least I'm glad she was better treated here in those days and that she was given the opportunity to blossom in many areas of her life. I'm verry proud for the work she achieved, I also know that her living in France and being respected by white people like never before influenced positively and gave her strenght in fighting against what was happening in the USA. She is now (partly) in the Panthéon where 83 important people of the french nation are burried and only 7 women, she's one of them. Maybe one day France will recognize the black french important people who made history and who never made it to french school history books. France does have amazing black people.

This docu was very well-executed: the narrator's script and voice, the interviewees' insights, the vintage video footage, etc is top-shelf. New subscriber. Notification 🛎 is on. 🖤

I've always been inspired by Josephine Baker. She was a classy woman. She still had a heart of gold and never forgot the poor

Thank you, DW, for keeping Josephine Baker’s story alive. She is and will always be an inspiration to many, then, now, and to come.

Thank you. Ms. Baker has always been my idol and an international artist like no other. How I admire her!

Such a respectful & factual narration, thank you sooo much for making this documentary - what an inspiring, beautiful soul & performer RIP

A great human being, la Baker deserves all our admiration❤

First time hearing of her, it’s like everyday I learn more and more about our plight and heroes of the cause and I’m grateful I can count on DW to share. If I leave it up to American history I can’t imagine what my life would look like now.

This documentary should be put in schools for kids to learn about

This upload is serendipitous. I've actually been thinking about her lately. Thanks DW!

This was absolutely wonderful thank you so much for this

the struggle, ongoing for 170 years, is still not over...

She had a whole line of products with her likeness. I would love to collect some of those antiques but of course they are pricey! I love Baker and her cheery smile 💕

I'm from St. Louis. There's a Josephine Baker Blvd here. She should have been more appreciated here when she was alive by wt people like she is now!

Outstanding woman and an equally impressive documentary... hers was really a life well lived with courage .. creativity .. compassion..thank you.

Upon setting foot on French soil, on her first steps, she struggled with her luggage. A Frenchman told her (it may not be verbatim, but it is almost word for word)"Good morning madam, may l help you?" She later said that upon hearing him she was struck. In the USA she had to use separate toilet and in France she was a woman as her skin did not matter. Even in WWII, many French, though thankful, expressed resentment at the segregation in the US army.

What impresses me most is her role in fighting for justice and her being an ambassador of peace and harmony among races. I also went to Monaco in May of 1967. More recently I got an article published in the Monaco Daily News. I was born in New Orleans and spent my early childhood in East Texas, where I saw the most disgusting and harsh racist ideologies being played out. We had to move to Hawaii to escape such ignorance because we were becoming too familiar with our black helpers. [Nelly Mae and her children.]. In Hawai'i we were in a white minority, where anti-white sentiment was strong.

Brilliant. Bravo Encore 👏 as a second time refugee from South Africa, I love and revere this lady ☝️❤️✌️🌍🙏

DW does awesome Documentaries that can rival Amazon and Netflix!

She was a triple threat! VERY multitalented and kind✨🫶🏾

Isn't it awesome that she had that wonderful freedom and stardom in France.

What a excellent display of the frustration, inner pain and elaborate freedom.

She was way ahead of her time🎉

Thanks for sharing this story. I was born in the 80s..but love to know about history. As this great artist..she empower her name her race. God bless her color.

This was beautiful and thank you

Wow, what a story, what a Persona, this documentary left me in tears, I'm so moved.. what an amazing person she was, and her suffering did not turn into hate, I love that rainbow tribe, wow, what an inspiration!

This is soooooo amazing to me as a black woman what she went through I really want to give this amazing woman her thanks if it wasn't for her and so many other's we as a people wouldn't be where we are today ❤🙌🏽🙏🏼

Race seemed so important back then, but, those hips don't lie, she was experiencing freedom at last. In her dance I see the art-deco bronze and ivory statuettes that are treasured today. Josephine embodies the jazz age, the futurist art, the rhythms; it's nothing to do with her colour, it's the artifice of decadence.

Absolutely brilliant documentary. I have been looking for information on Joseph Baker for long time. Thank you for this.

She is a Hero who adopted children of all races.

Beautifully presented, the imagines are chilling. Josephine Baker a beautiful gifted woman. May you rest peacefully.

PLEASE DO A VID OF THE GREAT, WILLIAM WILBERFORCE. THE MAN WHO STARTED THE MOVEMENT OF ABOLISHING SLAVERY IN ENGLAND, THAT INSPIRED THE USA MOVEMENT. WE MUST REMEMBER THESE PEOPLE⚘️

Beautiful thank you for sharing 💐💃🏽

Very interesting.Thanks for sharing DW.👏👏👏👋

My family lived in mixed communities, and though we are white I'm the third generation to adore Miss Baker. My grandmotther was a ballet teacher and used many of Josephine's routines (and gave credit) for her revues. I think it would have amused her to see those middle class white American kids trying to copy her dances.

She is remarkable fabulous woman if I was to ever be a celebrity, I would want to fight like Josephine not get caught up in the superficial of it all I'm only a fan to certain artists unless it means something I really feel like and I'm not speaking like a fan but with this album that Miss Beyoncé is coming out with i really feel like she has a fight that she has to fulfill with this country album. that's what makes me a fan some don't understand what it's about we're fighting with God he's leading us and it's bigger than us. Thank you, Miss Josephine.

It's an amazing documentary 👏🏼

Josephine was such an electrifing performer and a great humanitarian. She did so much for humanity and a very elegant and beautiful woman. It was so horrible the way she was treated by the land of her birth and how deep seeded the racism was in U.S. at that time which expoosed the hypocrisy of the so called "land of the free" in the way Mrs. Baker was treated after becoming a huge star in her own right. The story of her life needs to be told to all people who believe in justice, equality, and human rights.❤❤❤

At 9:32, she does a dance that I have seen both the supremes and Beyoncé do! 💯❤️✊🏾🙌🏾

Was there ever a human being so sweet, loving and wonderful to exists as Josephine Baker? It is outstanding what a shining beacon she was

Beautiful history of Josephine Baker but unfortunately we have to struggle with racism, colorism, and narcissism which the isms have only one thing in common is Hatred among our own kind engages black on black "illegal" activities in our black communities, and it's encouraged by envy, and jealousy which it doesn't have to be. It's the choices they are making instead of wanting to venture out and work on themselves from within, and to help each other with love and dignity. All I can do is keep the faith, hope, and pray for them to better themselves instead of spewing hatred all over the place on one another and to themselves. We're suppose to keep Martin Luther Kings Dream alive, not to destroy his and our dreams.

What an amazing life story! It is truly sad how badly she (and all black people in general) were treated in the US, in those days. Hopefully we as a nation are improving ourselves.

An absolute gem to the world. There never will be another one like Ms. Baker!

Incredible story, Anew Earth is truly here. Age of the Aquarius will even bring the world more love that we have always dreamed of. Thank you, thank you.

Great documentary on Josephine Baker

I truly enjoyed learning more about this wonderful,talented woman,who gave so much of herself to everyone .She was truly a hero of the people ALL PEOPLE.THANK YOU

Love you Josephine, may your soul rest in peace

I looove her story... what a hero she was! ❤❤❤

As a blackman I,disliked her 15 to 20mins into this doc and then I began to get it,she had to be bold,she had to be brave and experimentally, let herself glow. She's an icon I am surprised isn't has popular has she ought to ❤❤❤

It's important to say she was recruited in the Defence Services in 1939 even before the war started and had passed her basic nursing and pilot licences way before that too... She knew war against fascism was coming and she always knew what side she was going to be on even if Jacques Abtey had not approached her she would have served with the Red Cross and ended up a Free French Air Force Lieutenant all the same. And her first marriage with a Frenchman Jean Lion who was a Jew, the one which enabled her to gain French citizenship in 1937 also informed her about the growing anti-semitism in Europe which she also opposed. She may have been a bit utopist and cack-handed sometimes but she also took all the risks, did all the efforts available to her to follow her values and they were on the side of universal Humanism.

As Mexican she inspired me

she was amazing

Vive La Baker!❤

Wonderful!Thank you. 🙂

Thanks so much for this documentary about such an incredible woman! I've just been reading about Josephine Baker's critical work during WW2 in Damien Lewis's book, Agent Josephine: American Beauty, French Hero, British Spy (also titled Flame of Resistance) which is fascinating, particularly as some of the important Second World War-era files concerning Josephine Baker's wartime service were only released to the public by French security services in 2020, more than seventy-five years after the events they pertain to. I only wished I'd learned about her just as much as I had known about women like Nancy Wake, codenamed The White Mouse by the Nazi regime!

I never know that Josephine went through so much heart ache and racism from her own country 💔 It's strange that the French embraced her lovely soul ♥️ thank god the French did embrace her, otherwise she wouldn't have been such an icon, and they loved her so much. I salute 🫡 👏🏿 🙌🏾 you ❤️

Omg thank u so much 4 this video.

Wonderful wonderful documentary. Best use of background historic footage to illustrate her story!

Magnificent! Thank you.🤗

Thanks so much for posting

I would love To have met JOSI AND talked to here AND WATCHED HER PEFORM RIP JOSI

I never knew that she was black until today. What a talented and classy person.

Absolutely 'sublime' content - just so well presented. Well done! Psyche aka Psyche Thompson UK 🌹

11:01 Dude, NEVER touch a sister’s hair.

This was a phenomenal documentary. I was hoping to see more about how she got into movies and a bit about those. She sure did live life to the fullest.😊

I’m glad you included her work with the French resistance during WW2. I think a lot of people didn’t know she risked her life working with the resistance.

Black History Month is everyday ❤❤❤❤.😊

Amazing woman, Dancer, and entertainer, a 5 star Lady indeed x

Very special documentary and biography of a woman, who inspired by her talent and ❤to the children of different cultures and religion 🕊🌹

Strong and wonderful black woman history! Thanks!👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Josephine Baker was definitely a trailblazer period! The poor treatment of her& all my people back then was just heartbreaking and disgusting in so many ways 😢💔😔 may God forever rest her beautiful soul she gone but will never be forgotten her story will live forever within us as black people

11:02 this is where the #donttouchmyhair began.

Wonderful video thank you for sharing ❤

Beautiful documentary❤

Very inspiring! I loved it ❤❤❤

Thank you for your videos

What an angel she was. Love her.

She was Beautiful ❤❤❤❤❤

hi - can you tell me where the quotes from josephine Baker are sourced from?

WE LOVEJOSEPHINE BAKER EMBRACING ALL CULTURES WHILE BEING PROUD OF HER OWN CULTURE MARVELOUS.

hello , great share , an absolutely amazing womanfar , far ahead of her time🥳🥳🥳🥳 💃💃💃💃💃💃. i wish i could have met her , thank you for sharing🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰.................

Incredible woman in throuble times to be a black person!!! I admire her a lot!! Whatever happened she took the risk of her creative way to make a way!

Does anyoneknow what performance the audio clip 39:40-40:08 is from?

Why she was treated like that in her own country?what was she guilty of ?hard to believe this cruelty.instead of being proud of her achievements she was subjected to horrible abuse.