Josephine Baker: From Enchantress to Secret Agent

Singer and dancer Josephine Baker (1906-1975) galvanizes Parisian audiences in the 1920s and ’30s, redirecting the course of European music, art and fashion. After Germany invades France, she valiantly spies on the Axis for the Free French, aids refugees, entertains Allied troops and is decorated for her intrepid wartime deeds. Becoming a global champion for civil rights she emerges as an enduring avatar of artistic, ethnic, feminist and sexual liberation. In 2021, Josephine is interred in the French Pantheon for her patriotism and inspirational life.

Dave Radlauer has made a special study of the tiny enclave of African American entertainers in Paris between the wars. His vivid multimedia talks offer keen insights on the lore, culture and personalities of early jazz, blues and swing. He has presented a six-time award-winning radio series for more than forty years and written 200 articles online and in print. Mr. Radlauer supplied interpretive text for the Stanford University Libraries Traditional Jazz website and contributed a large jazz collection to Stanford Archives. He also teaches Osher-OLLI extension courses on these topics for UCLA, UC Berkeley, San Francisco State, Dominican and California Lutheran universities.