Josephine Baker: Spy, It Girl, and Revolutionary

From Right Answers Mostly by Claire Donald & Tess Bellomo

March 30, 2026 · 46 min

About this episode

The episode explores the life of Josephine Baker, highlighting her journey from poverty to fame and her role as a spy and civil rights activist.

Josephine Baker: a woman who escaped poverty, danced her way to fame, became the most famous woman in Paris, and then, plot twist, served as a spy for the French Resistance during World War II. And when the war ended, she didn’t slow down, she took that same power into the fight for civil rights, refusing to play by America’s rules. A story that sounds like fiction, but Josephine Baker did all of that, and more. Created and produced by Claire Donald and Tess Bellomo Follow us on social media, buy merch, and more⁠ HERE! ⁠ Join our premium channel for 3 bonus eps a month ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ and save 15% when you buy annually! Sources: New Yorker, https://glreview.org/article/article-959/, PBS , CIA.gov, Vogue, Ebony, Biography.com, Harpers Bazaar , Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Hosts: Claire Donald, Tess Bellomo

Topics covered

Josephine Baker
World War II
civil rights
fame
Paris
spy

Keywords

Josephine Baker
spy
French Resistance
civil rights
fame
Paris
history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Harpers Bazaar, French Resistance, New Yorker, PBS, CIA.gov, Vogue, Ebony, Biography.com, Wikipedia