Josephine Baker (1906-1975)

American-born singer/dancer/actress Josephine Baker was a global icon during the Jazz Age, when she headlined at the Folies Bergère in Paris and became the first Black woman to star in a major motion picture. Apart from her dazzling performances, Baker was a revolutionary spirit who lived unapologetically as an openly bisexual woman in an era when such openness was rare. She never flinched from being there for a greater cause and during WW II, she acted as a spy for the French Resistance. Baker used her voice and influence to challenge racism, even refusing to perform for segregated audiences in the US. She adopted 12 children from different ethnic backgrounds, forming what she called her "Rainbow Tribe” as proof that people of different races could live together harmoniously. Her vision of global unity and equality remains as powerful today as ever.