Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker
Reading Comprehension for June 3
Josephine Baker was born in America. She was an American citizen. She did not, however, attain fame in America. She was famous in Europe for her musical abilities. Her talents were not accepted in the United States until she was in her sixties.
Josephine was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 3, 1906. Her name at birth was Freda Josephine McDonald. Josephine's family lived in East St. Louis. It was a very poor city. In 1917, riots were common in the area. Josephine survived the riots, but she decided to run away from home two years later. She was only thirteen years old.
She was a naturally talented singer and dancer. Josephine took jobs in vaudeville shows. She made it all the way to New York where she performed on Broadway. Josephine took the last name Baker from her second husband. She married him when she was only fifteen years old. When she was nineteen, she headed for Europe. She didn't believe she could become a star in America because she was black.
