By Maria Hickey, KWMU
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kwmu/local-kwmu-514525.mp3
St. Louis, MO – Americans have always loved rags to riches stories, and Josephine Baker's life has all of the elements.
She was born Freda Josephine McDonald in 1906 to an unwed washerwoman in St. Louis. At 13 she left home to join a vaudeville act. Just a few years later the performer became a sensation in Europe.
But as an African-American, Josephine Baker struggled to gain acceptance in her own country.
Saturday will be the 100th anniversary of Baker's birth, and KWMU's Maria Hickey has a look at her remarkable life.
More information: Sheldon Art Galleries