March is Womens History Month and twice a week starting March 3, Tracey Friley of OneBrownGirl in Paris - the curator of the epic 10 night Brown Girl Collective trip to Paris in 2015 - is contributing to the 24/7/365 BGC womens history celebration by paying tribute to one of Americas most famous female expats in 8 parts, history-maker Josephine Baker. Surely the day will come when color means nothing more than the skin tone, when religion is seen uniquely as a way to speak ones soul; when birth places have the weight of a throw of the dice and all men are born free, when understanding breeds love and brotherhood. -Josephine Baker Although based in France, Josephine Baker supported the American Civil Rights Movement during the 1950s. When she arrived in New York with her husband Jo they were refused reservations at 36 hotels because she was black. She was so upset by the treatment that she wrote articles on the segregation in the United States and began traveling farther south. She gave a talk at the all-black Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, her subject being France, North Africa And The Equality Of The Races In France. In addition, she refused to perform for segregated audiences in the United States even after she was offered $10,000. Her insistence on mixed audiences helped to integrate shows in Las Vegas, Nevada, then one of the most segregated cities in America. After this incident, she began receiving threatening phone calls from the Ku Klux Klan but stated that she was not afraid of them. In 1951, Baker made charges of racism against Sherman Billingsleys Stork Club in Manhattan, where she alleged that she had been refused service. Actress Grace Kelly, who was at the club at the time, rushed over to Baker, took her by the arm and stormed out with her entire party, vowing never to return (although she did in fact appear there on January 3, 1956 with Prince Rainier of Monaco). The two women became close friends after the incident. Baker worked with the NAACP. In 1963, she spoke at the March on Washington at the side of Martin Luther King, Jr. Baker was the only official female speaker and while wearing her Free French uniform emblazoned with her medal of the Légion dhonneur she introduced the Negro Women for Civil Rights. Rosa Parks and Daisy Bates were among those she acknowledged and both gave brief speeches. Key themes from her speech that ring true today can be found here > ow.ly/uEnPp After Kings assassination, his widow Coretta Scott King approached Baker in Holland to ask if she would take her husbands place as leader of the American Civil Rights Movement. After many days of thinking it over, Baker declined, saying her children were too young to lose their mother. Bakers reputation as a crusader grew to such an extent that the NAACP had Sunday 20 May 1951 declared Josephine Baker Day. She was presented with life membership of the NAACP by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Ralph Bunche. It was also during this time that she began adopting children, forming a family she often referred to as The Rainbow Tribe. PHOTOS (starting at the top left and going clockwise): **NAACP protesters at the Stork Club defend Josephine **Josephine Baker at the March on Washington, 28 Aug 1963 **Josephine Baker and Lena Horne in front of the Lincoln Memorial at the March on Washington **Josephine Baker at the March on Washington **Josephine Baker with the Nobel Prize winning political scientist, Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, ca. 1960. End of Part 5 of 8. Text: Wiki Part 1: Josephine: The Early Years Part 2: Josephine: The Banana Skirt Part 3: Josephine: The Muse Part 4: Josephine: The Spy Part 5: Josephine: The Activist Part 6: Josephine: The Rainbow Tribe Part 7: Josephine: The Comeback Part 8: Bidding Adieu to Josephine Brown Girl Collective Trip to Paris November 4-15, 2015 Departing from your closest major airport. Convenient payment plan available. Trip Details > ow.ly/t2y6O Pricing Details > ow.ly/t2ycH Event Page > https://facebook/events/134437290060054/ MARCH SPECIAL expires 3/31/14 $475 in March 2014 $375 in April 2014 $275 in May 2014 DOUBLE: $199.60 per month for 15 auto payments starting June 2014 SINGLE: $250.87 per month for 15 auto payments starting June 2014 APRIL: Trip Deposit will go back to its regular $1,000. DOUBLE: $194.94 per month for 16 auto payments starting May 2014 SINGLE: $243 per month for 16 auto payments starting May 2014 Email Tracey at OBGinParis@aol for info, to join the Interest List or about how to register. #ParisRocks
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 21:00:01 +0000
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