After stealing the spotlight as a teenage Broadway performer during the height of the Harlem Renaissance, Josephine Baker took Paris by storm, dazzling audiences across the Roaring Twenties. In her famous banana skirt, she enraptured royalty and countless fans — Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso among them — to become one of the most recognizable women in the world. And then World War II broke out, and Baker became a decorated spy for the French Résistance, using her celebrity as her cover to hide spies in her entourage and secret messages in her costumes. Later, Baker joined the Civil Rights movement in the US, boycotting segregated concert venues, and speaking at the March on Washington alongside Martin Luther King Jr.

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First published in France in 1949, Baker's memoir Fearless and Free has now been translated into English.


This event is part of The Ebell's slate of Black History Month programming.
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Book Chamber is The Ebell’s monthly virtual book club for members. Together, the group explores a wide range of genres and authors—from contemporary fiction and timeless classics to memoirs and mysteries. Whether you’re a voracious reader or simply looking for a welcoming space to share perspectives, Book Chamber is a wonderful way to connect with fellow members through the joy of reading.

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