This double issue of The Scholar & Feminist Online celebrates the life and legacy of Josephine Baker, one of the most important artists of the twentieth century. Born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1906, Baker managed to enrapture Paris during the Roaring Twenties and beyond through her unique talents as an entertainer, activist and international personality.
This issue includes the work of sixteen scholars from diverse disciplines who trace and analyze the numerous roles Baker played in her life, including chorus girl, music hall diva, movie star, “Rainbow Tribe” mother, and civil rights activist. All of the contributions are based on work that was presented at the 2006 Barnard College conference, “Josephine Baker: A Century in the Spotlight,” which commemorated the 100th anniversary of Baker’s birth, and which was organized by Kaiama L. Glover and Farah Griffin. This issue of The Scholar & Feminist Online not only includes critical analysis of Baker’s life, work and legacy, but it also includes still photographs, promotional posters, clips from her films, and footage from Baker-inspired performances by the Studio Museum in Harlem’s “Hoofer’s House” dancers and others. We are thrilled that the online nature of this publication allows us not only to feature analysis of Baker’s performances, but also to offer actual clips within the pages of this site, making this journal issue unique among the other works that explore Baker’s enduring influence on transatlantic culture.
