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'{{Short description|American entrepreneur, activist, park ranger (born 1921)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2016}} {{Use American English|date=May 2016}} {{Infobox person | name = Betty Reid Soskin | image = Betty Reid Soskin.jpg | caption = Soskin in 2014 | birth_name = Betty Charbonnet | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1921|9|22}} | birth_place = [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]], U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2024|09|20}} | death_place = [[Chicago]], [[Texas]], U.S. | employer = [[National Park Service]] | occupation = [[National Park Service ranger]] | years_active = | education = [[Castlemont High School]] | alma_mater = | spouse = {{ubl|{{marriage|Melvin Reid|1943|1972|reason=divorced}}| {{marriage|William Soskin|1978|1988|reason=died }}}} }} '''Betty Reid Soskin''' ({{nee}} '''Charbonnet'''; born September 22, 1921) is an American retired [[National Park Service ranger|ranger]] with the [[National Park Service]], previously assigned to the [[Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park]] in [[Richmond, California]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/09/26/MNFUSA80E.DTL&hw=Betty+Reid+Soskin&sn=003&sc=552 |title=WWII meant opportunity for many women, oppression for others|first=Carolyne|last= Zinko|newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|date= September 26, 2007|access-date= March 23, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/31/PKL91BL53V.DTL#ixzz0eDQsu0bc |title=Ranger's voice spans East Bay history|first= Lee |last=Hildebrand|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date= January 31, 2010|access-date= March 23, 2011}}</ref> Until her retirement on March 31, 2022, at the age of 100, she was the oldest [[National Park Ranger]] serving the United States.<ref>{{cite news |last = Jones |first = Carolyn |title = Federal shutdown puts Betty Reid Soskin on hold |newspaper = San Francisco Chronicle |date = October 16, 2013 |url = http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Federal-shutdown-puts-Betty-Reid-Soskin-on-hold-4901916.php |access-date = April 26, 2014 }}</ref> == Early life == Betty Charbonnet was born in 1921 in [[Detroit]] to Dorson Louis Charbonnet and Lottie Breaux Allen, both [[Catholic Church|Catholics]] and natives of [[Louisiana]]. Her father came from a [[Louisiana Creole people|Creole]] background, and her mother from a [[Cajun]] background. Her great-grandmother had been born into slavery in 1846. She spent her early childhood living in [[New Orleans]], until a hurricane and flood destroyed her family's home and business in 1927, when her family then relocated to [[Oakland, California]].<ref name="NPR-Soskin">"Oldest National Park Ranger Shares 'What Gets Remembered'," NPR Wisdom Watch, May 15, 2014.[https://www.npr.org/2014/05/15/312707926/oldest-national-park-ranger-shares-what-gets-remembered]</ref> Soskin graduated from [[Castlemont High School]] in Oakland.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=Betty Reid Soskin, Groundbreaking Park Ranger, to Have East Bay Middle School Renamed in Her Honor|url=https://www.kqed.org/news/11879198/betty-reid-soskin-groundbreaking-park-ranger-to-have-east-bay-middle-school-renamed-in-her-honor|access-date=2021-06-24|website=KQED|date=June 24, 2021 |language=en-us}}</ref> During [[World War II]] she worked as a file clerk for [[International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers|Boilermakers Union A-36]], an all-black [[Trade union|union auxiliary]].<ref name="NPR-Soskin" /> Her main job was filing change of address cards for the workers, who moved frequently.<ref name="honor ranger" /> In June 1945, she and her then husband, Mel Reid, founded [[Reid's Records]] in [[Berkeley, California]], a small black-owned business specializing in [[Gospel music]]. They moved to [[Walnut Creek, California]] in the 1950s, where their children attended better public schools and an alternative private elementary and middle school called Pinel. The family encountered considerable [[racism]], and she and her husband were subject to death threats after they built a home in the white suburb.<ref name="NPR-Soskin" /> == Career == She converted to [[Unitarian Universalism|Unitarianism]] and became active in the [[Mount Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church]] and the Black Caucus of the [[Unitarian Universalist Association]],<ref name="Commencement 2022 Betty Reid Soskin">{{cite web |title=Betty Reid Soskin |url=https://commencement.williams.edu/commencement-2022/betty-reid-soskin/ |website=Williams College |access-date=January 31, 2024}}</ref> and in the 1960s became a well-known songwriter in the [[Civil Rights Movement]].<ref name="NPR-Soskin" /> [[File:Reids Records 2015.jpg|thumb|left|'''Reid's Records''' in [[Berkeley, California]], 2014]] She was divorced from Mel Reid in 1972, and subsequently married William Soskin, a psychology professor at the [[University of California, Berkeley]]. In 1978, after Mel Reid's health and finances had declined, she took over management of the music store, which led to her becoming active in area civic matters and a prominent [[community activist]].<ref>{{cite book |last = Frankel |first = Bruce |title = What Should I Do With the Rest of My Life?: True Stories of Finding Success, Passion, and New Meaning in the Second Half of Life |publisher = [[Penguin Books]] |date = 2010 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=_oQZG6VFzFoC&q=Betty+Reid+Soskin&pg=PT196 |isbn = 978-1-101-18596-4 }}</ref> Reid's Records closed on October 19, 2019.<ref name="closefall">{{cite news | last =Jones | first =Kevin L. | title =Reid's Records, California's oldest record shop, to close in the fall | newspaper =[[Berkeleyside]] | location =[[Berkeley, California]] | pages = | language =English | publisher = | date =2019-02-05 | quote=One of Berkeley's few remaining black-owned businesses lasted through decades of ups and downs and outlived megastore competitors, but it couldn't beat the impact of technology and gentrification. | url =https://www.berkeleyside.org/2019/02/05/reids-records-californias-oldest-record-shop-to-close-in-the-fall | accessdate = 2022-03-31}}</ref> She later served as a field representative for [[State Assembly|California State Assemblywomen]] [[Dion Aroner]] and [[Loni Hancock]], and in those positions became actively involved in the early planning stages and development of a park to memorialize the role of women on the [[Home Front during World War II]]. Those efforts came to fruition when [[Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park]] was established in 2000, to provide a site where future generations could remember the contributions women made to the war effort. [[File:Richmond - Marina Bay - Rosie the Riveter monument 01.jpg|thumb|right|'''The Rosie Memorial''' in [[Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park]], [[Richmond, California]]]] Reflecting on her own role in planning for the park's creation, and on how she brought her personal recollections of the conditions for African American women working in that still [[Racial segregation in the United States|segregated]] environment to bear on the planning efforts, she has said that, often, she "was the only person in the room who had any reason to remember that ... what gets remembered is a function of who's in the room doing the remembering."<ref name="NPR-Soskin" /> In 2003, she left her state job and became a consultant at the park she helped create before becoming a [[National Park Ranger|park ranger]] with the [[National Park Service]] in 2007 at the age of 85.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal_government/betty-soskin-a-living-monument-to-wwii-history/2015/06/12/09b2ae90-1144-11e5-9726-49d6fa26a8c6_story.html |title = Betty Soskin A Living Monument To WWII History |newspaper = [[The Washington Post]]|date=June 12, 2015 }}</ref> Soskin's duties included conducting [[tour guide|park tours]] and serving as an [[Heritage interpretation|interpreter]], explaining the park's purpose, history, various sites, and museum collections to park visitors. She has been celebrated as "a tireless voice for making sure the African-American wartime experience{{snds}}both the positive steps toward [[Racial integration|integration]] and the presence of [[Racial discrimination in America|discrimination]]{{snds}}has a prominent place in the Park's history."<ref>{{cite news |last = Geluardi |first = John |title = Park celebrates women's war effort: 'Rosie the Riveter' symbol of those who transcended traditional roles |newspaper = [[Oakland Tribune]] |date = July 30, 2007 |url = http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_6498461 |access-date = April 26, 2014 }}</ref> Soskin said in 2015, at the age of 93: "Wish I'd had [the] confidence when the young Betty needed it to navigate through the hazards of everyday life on the planet. But maybe I'm better able to benefit from having it now{{snds}}when I have the maturity to value it and the audacity to wield it for those things held dear."<ref>[http://cbreaux.blogspot.com/ Personal blog], May 26, 2015.</ref> She released her memoir, ''Sign My Name to Freedom'', in February 2018. A feature-length documentary about Soskin's involvement with music, also titled ''Sign My Name to Freedom'', began filming in 2016.<ref>{{cite web | last=Sobotta | first=Sharon K. | title=Sign My Name to Freedom | website=East Bay Express | date=January 11, 2023 | url=https://eastbayexpress.com/sign-my-name-to-freedom/ | access-date=January 31, 2024}}</ref> Soskin had a stroke while working at the park in September 2019 and returned to work in a limited, informal capacity in January 2020.<ref>{{cite news |last = Sanchez |first = Tatiana |title = Betty Reid Soskin, 98-year-old park ranger, recovering from stroke | newspaper = [[San Francisco Chronicle]] | date = September 22, 2019 | url = https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Betty-Reid-Soskin-98-year-old-park-ranger-14459677.php | access-date=October 22, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tyska |first1=Jane |title=Betty Reid Soskin back at work at Rosie the Riveter park after stroke |url=https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2020/01/16/video-betty-reid-soskin-back-at-work-at-rosie-the-riveter-park-after-stroke/ |work=East Bay Times |date=January 16, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.upworthy.com/national-park-ranger-betty-soskin|title=98-yr-old Betty Reid Soskin is America's oldest park ranger and an inspiration for us all|first=Annie |last=Reneau|date=2020-03-03|website=Upworthy|language=en|access-date=2020-03-09}}</ref> In celebration of her 100th birthday, the [[West Contra Costa Unified School District]] renamed Juan Crespi Middle School to Betty Reid Soskin Middle School.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/09/24/betty-soskin-park-ranger-100/| title=She became a park ranger at 85 to tell her story of segregation. Now 100, she's the oldest active ranger.| newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|first=Sydney|last=Page|date=September 24, 2021}}</ref><ref name=school_rename>{{cite web | url=https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/east-bay-district-names-school-after-betty-reid-soskin-on-her-100th-birthday/2663683/ | title=East Bay District Names School After Betty Reid Soskin on Her 100th Birthday |date=September 22, 2021| website=www.nbcbayarea.com}}</ref> On March 31, 2022, Soskin retired from the National Park Service; she was the oldest serving park ranger at the time.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/soskin-retires-2022.htm | publisher=National Park Service | title=100 year-old National park Service Ranger Betty Reid Soskin retires after remarkable career | date=March 31, 2022}}</ref> == Honors == [[File:Betty Reid Soskin receives congressional recognition from Mark DeSauliner 01.jpg|thumb|Reid Soskin receiving a congressional recognition from [[Mark DeSaulnier]] in 2020.]] * California Woman of the Year, [[California Legislature]], 1995 * Builders of Communities and Dreams, National Women's History Project, 2006 * Cited in "Wherever there's a fight{{snds}}the history of the [[ACLU]] in California" – Elaine Elinson and Stan Yogi, 2007 * Attended [[First inauguration of Barack Obama|President Obama's Inauguration]] as a guest of [[Rep. George Miller (D)|Rep. George Miller]], 2009 * Proclamation honoring her by [[Richmond, California|Richmond]] [[Gayle McLaughlin|Mayor Gayle McLaughlin]] on behalf of [[Richmond, California|Richmond City Council]], 2009 * Received [[honorary doctorate]] at [[California College of the Arts]] at Spring Commencement, 2010 * Received the WAVE award as one of three "Women of Achievement" by GirlSource of San Francisco, 2010 * Received a commemorative presidential coin in 2015; it was stolen from her in a home robbery in 2016, but later in 2016 she received a new one<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kcra.com/article/oldest-park-ranger-gets-new-coin-after-bay-area-home-robbery/6429653|title=Oldest park ranger gets new coin after home robbery|date=July 18, 2016|website=KCRA}}</ref> * [[The National WWII Museum]] Silver Service Medallion, at the American Spirit Awards gala, 2016<ref name="honor ranger">{{cite web |url=http://www.nola.com/living/index.ssf/2016/05/museum_to_honor_ranger_for_tel.html |website=nola.com |title=World War II Museum to honor park ranger, 94, for telling the truth about racism |date=November 19, 2016 |orig-date=May 29, 2016 |first=John |last=Pope |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181019233404/https://www.nola.com/living/index.ssf/2016/05/museum_to_honor_ranger_for_tel.html |archive-date=19 October 2018}}</ref> * Recognition in the [[Congressional Record]] in 2016.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Recognizing Ms. Betty Reid Soskin |journal=Congressional Record |date=July 5, 2016 |volume=162 |issue=107 |page=49 |url=https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2016/7/5/extensions-of-remarks-section/article/e1033-1}}</ref> * Received [[Honorary degree|honorary doctorate]] of arts and letters at [[Mills College]], 2017 * Received the [[Robin W. Winks Award for Enhancing Public Understanding of National Parks]] from the [[National Parks Conservation Association]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npca.org/resources/3286-awards-and-recognition|title=Awards and Recognition|website=National Parks Conservation Association}}</ref> 2018 * Recognition in the [[Congressional Record]] in 2019<ref>{{cite journal |title=Recognizing Betty Reid Soskin |journal=Congressional Record |date=October 22, 2019 |volume=165 |issue=167 |page=10 |url=https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2019/10/22/house-section/article/h8303-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=DeSaulnier |first1=Mark |title=Recognizing Betty Reid Soskin |url=https://twitter.com/RepDeSaulnier/status/1226205319614824448 |date=Feb 8, 2020}}</ref> * [[Juan Crespi]] Middle School in the [[West Contra Costa Unified School District]] was renamed Betty Reid Soskin Middle School to honor Soskin; the renaming ceremony was held on her hundredth birthday on September 22, 2021<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kqed.org/news/11889493/east-bay-middle-school-renamed-for-pioneering-park-ranger-betty-reid-soskin-on-her-100th-birthday|title=East Bay Middle School Renamed for Pioneering Park Ranger Betty Reid Soskin — on Her 100th Birthday|first=Beth|last= LaBerge|author2=Marnette Federis|date=September 22, 2021|website=KQED}}</ref> == References == {{Reflist}} === Sources === * [http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2015/07/28/betty-reid-soskin-oldest-park-ranger/?SiteID=cbaolcompromotion_july_102&icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl18%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D299040507 Rachel Gillett – "Meet the 93-Year-Old Woman Who Still Works 5 Days a Week and Never Wants to Retire: Betty Reid Soskin is the oldest active ranger in the National Park Service", AOL Jobs, July 28, 2015.] Retrieved 2015-08-09 == External links == * {{official website}}{{snds}}personal blog * [http://digitalassets.lib.berkeley.edu/roho/ucb/text/Soskin.pdf Betty Reid Soskin: Rosie the Riveter World War II American Homefront Oral History Project] * [https://www.signmynamebook.com ''Sign My Name to Freedom''] website for Soskin's memoir * [https://www.notimetowastefilm.com ''No Time to Waste''] website for 2020 documentary film * [https://www.signmynametofreedom.com ''Sign My Name to Freedom''] website for documentary film in production as of January 2024, about Betty's hidden songs * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNrc61ZEyko "The Test"] Video of Ms. Soskin's talk for The Moth (a storytelling nonprofit), in which she creatively fends off an intruder at age 85. {{History of Richmond, California}} {{Portal bar|Biography|Geography|History|Music|San Francisco Bay Area}} {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Soskin, Betty}} [[Category:1921 births]] [[Category:21st-century African-American people]] [[Category:20th-century African-American people]] [[Category:Activists from the San Francisco Bay Area]] [[Category:African-American activists]] [[Category:African-American centenarians]] [[Category:African-American history in the San Francisco Bay Area]] [[Category:American community activists]] [[Category:American Unitarian Universalists]] [[Category:Castlemont High School alumni]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:National Park Service personnel]] [[Category:People from Berkeley, California]] [[Category:People from Oakland, California]] [[Category:People from Richmond, California]] [[Category:American women centenarians]]'