Miami Beach to Unveil Josephine Baker Marker
A rendering of a historical marker honoring Josephine Baker's stand against segregation at Copa City will be unveiled Nov. 12.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in African-American
The Miami Beach Commission for Women will unveil a rendering of the future Josephine Baker Floridad Historical Marker on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 11 a.m. at Maurice Gibb Memorial Park. A permanent marker will later be installed at 1301 Dade Blvd., the former site of the now-defunct Copa City nightclub.
Why it matters
The marker commemorates Baker's refusal to perform before a segregated audience in the 1950s and her insistence that Copa City admit patrons regardless of race, color and creed. The Commission for Women is recognizing that legacy in Miami Beach.
Baker's opening performance at Copa City was on January 10, 1951, with invited Black and white celebrities from New York in attendance. The source does not state when the permanent marker will be installed at the Dade Boulevard site.
The players
Josephine Baker
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Baker was a performer who refused to play to segregated audiences and whose contract terms helped set anti-segregation standards for performers nationwide.
Miami Beach Commission for Women
The municipal commission in Miami Beach that is honoring Baker's legacy with the historical marker.
The details
Baker agreed to perform at Copa City only after the nightclub, owned by Murray Weinger and Ned Schuyler, committed to an integrated audience. Her contract required that patrons be admitted regardless of race, color and creed, and similar anti-segregation provisions later became standard in her performance contracts across the United States.
Timeline
January 10, 1951: Baker's opening performance at Copa City.
1975: Josephine Baker dies at age 68.
Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, 11 a.m.: Rendering of the marker unveiled at Maurice Gibb Memorial Park, 1700 Purdy Avenue.
Historical Context
Baker's 1951 insistence on an integrated audience at Copa City produced anti-segregation clauses that later became standard in her performance contracts throughout the United States. The Miami Beach marker places that Copa City episode into the local record.
Residents and visitors to Miami Beach can view the marker rendering at Maurice Gibb Memorial Park on Nov. 12 at 11 a.m. The permanent marker will be installed at 1301 Dade Blvd. at a later date.
The takeaway
Baker's Copa City stand shows how individual performers used contract terms to press for integrated audiences decades before broader civil rights changes. The local marker keeps that precedent visible in the place where it happened.
What happens next
The marker rendering will be unveiled Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Maurice Gibb Memorial Park, 1700 Purdy Avenue.
Further reading
Explore more African-American culture coverage to see how Baker's legacy fits into the broader history of Black entertainers challenging segregation.
Source note: This article includes information reported by South Florida Times.
