Josephine Baker (b. St. Louis, USA, 1906 – d. 1975, Paris, France) was an American dancer, singer, and performance artist who resided in France for long periods of time. Baker aided the French Resistance during World War II. After the war, she was awarded the Resistance Medal by the French Committee of National Liberation, the Croix de Guerre by the French military, and was named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by General Charles de Gaulle. Baker sang: « I have two loves: my country and Paris. » She was also a civil rights activist and refused to perform for segmented audiences in the United States.
