Josephine Baker and her husband Jo Bouillon are seen with their adopted family
at tea at their home, the Chateau des Milandes in France. (1956)

Well before Angelina Jolie and Madonna’s forays into mass international and interracial adoption, Baker’s named “Rainbow Tribe” promised to combat racism as 12 children of various backgrounds from around the world became part of one family. Though unity by way of family is an attractive imaginary, it rarely delivers on that large Utopian goal. What seems to always be the impact that is difficult to translate or verbalize is the difference for the children between and orphanage and their new family. I’m not saying it’s necessarily always positive, but it’s a definite change in way of life. Still, in terms of representation, keeping in mind Baker’s Civil Rights activism, adoption of France as her home, and rejection of US racial constructs on and off screen, her family does serve as a complication to the “white savior” image.

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