Musical Trailblazers– Josephine Baker: Racism in the U.S. Music Industry (Part 7/8)

In a bleak time of the Cold War and Civil Rights eras, there were musicians that became a beacon of light for the people that needed it. They pushed social boundaries and became activists, fighting for their beliefs and ultimately, changing the musical landscape of the period. Finally, Josephine Baker.

Image: CMG Worldwide

A third musician who made radical change during the Cold War and Civil Rights eras was Josephine Baker. She was an international star– but foremostly, an activist. During the peak of her career, her artistry was in and of itself activism; as a Black woman who faced discrimination in the United States, she made it her life goal to help her people (Dudziak, 548). Despite her fame and popularity as an artist, Baker was met with friction and oppression from the American government and music industry. The FBI accused Baker of being a Communist simply because she exposed racism in the United States (Dudziak, 552). The controversy of her political activism hindered her ability to book shows in the entertainment industry; her polarizing views were “not good for the business” (Dudziak, 552). In this case, the government secured power over the music industry; since Baker was a threat to American politics and race relations, she was in turn a threat to the industry (Dudziak, 556). This shows how the music industry was a reflection of greater American politics– evidently, the business and those operating under it (like Josephine Baker) were affected by the United States government’s anti-Communist agendas.

The music business itself, too, had its own commitment to fulfilling the demands of its audience. An artist that was overtly political on stage naturally caused division amongst the audience; it was evident that venue owners and other leaders within the industry wanted to avoid conflict and raise revenue from the general public (the general public was synonymous with the white population essentially). Goar Mestre, a theatre owner, said, “We know that Josephine Baker has terrific drawing power, but we can’t keep adjusting our business to her” (Dudziak, 561). The music did not revolve around one person, nor the Civil Rights, nor any movement that would potentially cause friction amongst listeners and consumers of the product. The music industry’s lack of participation from the movement, and exclusion of those who were brave enough to question racism in the business, only exacerbated racism in the United States.

Bibliography

Dudziak, Mary L. "Josephine Baker, Racial Protest, and the Cold War." Organization of American Historians 81, no. 2 (September 1994): 543-70. Accessed April 19, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2081171.

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