Josephine Baker first Black woman honored in French Pantheon

PARIS (AP) – France is inducting Missouri-born cabaret dancer Josephine Baker who was also a French World War II spy and civil rights activist into its Pantheon.

She is the first Black woman honored in the final resting place of France’s most revered luminaries.

A coffin carrying soils from places where Baker made her mark will be deposited Tuesday inside the domed Pantheon monument overlooking the Left Bank of Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron decided on her entry into the Pantheon.

The move is meant to send a message against racism and celebrate U.S.-French connections in addition to honoring an exceptional figure in French history.