Josephine Baker is an icon. She was an international superstar and a human rights activist with lofty ideals: to convince the world that peace, freedom, and equality are universal human rights, regardless of skin color, religion, nationality, gender, or sexual orientation. For these life achievements, she was inducted into the Pantheon in Paris in 2021 by French President Emmanuel Macron—as the fifth woman and the first woman of color. Since then, she has no longer been reduced to the clichéd banana skirt, but has received the attention she deserves as a role model for resilience, inclusion, self-determination, and humanity. June 3 marks her 120th birthday. 

On Friday, June 12, at 8 p.m., the reading festival “Wiesbaden Reads in Summer,” in cooperation with the Cultural Office, will present an evening dedicated to Josephine Baker at Caligari. In line with this year’s theme (“Democracy and Humanity”), a panel discussion followed by a documentary film will explore the role of the global star as a fighter for freedom and against racism. Guests include Dr. Mona Horncastle, author of the biography “Josephine Baker – World Star, Freedom Fighter, Icon,” and actor and drag queen Kelly Heelton (Fausto Israel). The event will be moderated by film scholar Sandra Blass.

Following the discussion, the German-language version of the documentary “Josephine Baker – Icon of Liberation” will be shown at approximately 8:45 p.m. In 1925, the young Black vaudeville dancer Josephine Baker left the U.S. and set off for Europe. She fled racial segregation and tried her luck in Paris. Her “danse sauvage” caused a sensation, and she became an overnight sensation in the French metropolis and soon worldwide. But she is also famous today for her political activism. Using rare, previously unpublished archival footage, the film tells the extraordinary story of Josephine Baker—her evolution from a dancer in a banana skirt to a political figure who, in 1963, was the only woman to speak alongside Martin Luther King Jr. at the March on Washington. It is the story of the political awakening of the first Black superstar.

Mona Horncastle holds a Ph.D. in art history. As a freelance curator and author, she specializes in biographies. Among other things, she has written about the life of Josephine Baker and curated several exhibitions, including at the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn and the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin. 

Kelly Heelton is the glamorous alter ego of the Brazilian-German artist Fausto Israel. After completing his studies at the Universidade de São Paulo, he appeared in Brazilian musical productions. Since 2003, he has lived and worked in Europe as a performer, singer, dancer, lecturer, and choreographer. In 2004, he created the fictional character Kelly Heelton, with whom he performs internationally.

An event as part of “Building Democracy!” by the Kulturregion RheinMain with support from “World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026.”

All information about the Wiesbaden Reads Festival: https://wiesbaden-liest.com (opens in a new tab).

Tickets are 9 euros, 8 euros for students and seniors, and 7 euros with the Wiesbaden Film Art Card. They are available online at www.wiesbaden.de/caligari (opens in a new tab) or at the box office at the Caligari FilmBühne, Marktplatz 9, Wiesbaden.