Josephine Baker is 1st Black woman given Paris burial honor

PARIS (AP) — Plans are underway to reinter the remains of American-born singer and dancer Josephine Baker at the Pantheon monument in Paris. The late entertainer who is a World War II hero in France will be the first Black woman to get the country’s highest honor. Le Parisien newspaper reported Sunday that French President Emmanuel Macron decided to organize a burial ceremony on Nov. 30 at the Paris monument. The presidential palace confirmed the report. After her death in 1975, Baker was buried in Monaco, dressed in a French military uniform with the medals she received for her role as a member of the French Resistance. Baker is the fifth woman to be honored with a Pantheon burial.