Josephine Baker (June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975) was an American-born Frenchdancer, singer, and actress. She was born Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis, Missouri. Fluent in both English and French, Baker became an international musical and political icon. She was given such nicknames as the "Bronze Venus", the "Black Pearl", and the "Créole Goddess".
Baker was the first African-American female to star in a major motion picture, Zouzou (1934), and to become a world-famous entertainer.