Betty Reid Soskin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Betty Reid Soskin
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Soskin in 2014
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| Born |
Betty Charbonnet
September 22, 1921 |
| Education | Castlemont High School |
| Occupation | National Park Service ranger |
| Employer | National Park Service |
| Spouse(s) |
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Betty Reid Soskin (née Charbonnet; born September 22, 1921) is an amazing American woman. She used to be a park ranger for the National Park Service. She worked at the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California. Betty was the oldest park ranger in the United States! She retired on March 31, 2022, when she was 100 years old.
Contents
Betty's Early Life
Growing Up and Moving
Betty Charbonnet was born in 1921 in Detroit. Her parents, Dorson Louis Charbonnet and Lottie Breaux Allen, were both Catholic. They came from Louisiana. Her dad's family had a Creole background. Her mom's family had a Cajun background. Betty's great-grandmother was born into slavery in 1846.
Betty spent her early childhood in New Orleans. But a big hurricane and flood destroyed her family's home in 1927. So, her family moved to Oakland, California.
School and First Jobs
Betty went to Castlemont High School in Oakland. After school, during World War II, she worked as a file clerk. She worked for a special union group called Boilermakers Union A-36. This group was just for Black workers. Her job was to file cards for workers who moved often.
In 1945, Betty and her husband, Mel Reid, started a business. It was called Reid's Records in Berkeley, California. It was a small business owned by Black people. They sold Gospel music.
Facing Challenges
In the 1950s, Betty and Mel moved to Walnut Creek, California. They wanted their children to go to better schools there. But their family faced a lot of unfair treatment because of their race. Betty and her husband even received threats after building their home in a mostly white neighborhood.
Betty's Amazing Career
Becoming an Activist
Betty joined a church called Unitarianism. She became very active in her church and a group called the Black Caucus. In the 1960s, she became a well-known songwriter. Her songs were part of the Civil Rights Movement. This movement worked for equal rights for all people.
Betty and Mel Reid divorced in 1972. Later, she married William Soskin. He was a psychology professor. In 1978, Betty took over running the music store. This made her more involved in her community. She became a well-known community activist. Reid's Records closed its doors on October 19, 2019.
Helping Create a Park
Betty later worked for California State Assemblywomen Dion Aroner and Loni Hancock. In these jobs, she helped plan a new park. This park would remember the important role of women during World War II. These women worked hard at home to support the war effort.
The park, called Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park, opened in 2000. It was created so future generations could remember these women's contributions.
Betty helped plan the park. She shared her own memories of what it was like for African American women. They worked in places that were still segregated, meaning Black and white people were kept separate. She said that often, she was the only one in the room who remembered these experiences. She felt it was important that these stories were included.
Becoming a Park Ranger
In 2003, Betty left her state job. She became a consultant for the park she helped create. Then, in 2007, when she was 85 years old, she became a park ranger for the National Park Service.
As a ranger, Betty gave tours of the park. She also worked as an interpreter. This meant she explained the park's purpose, history, and collections to visitors. People have praised her for making sure the experiences of African Americans during wartime were remembered. This included both steps toward integration and the presence of discrimination.
In 2015, when she was 93, Betty said she wished she had her confidence when she was younger. But she felt she could use it now to help others.
Betty wrote a book about her life called Sign My Name to Freedom. It came out in 2018. A movie about her music life, also called Sign My Name to Freedom, started filming in 2016.
In September 2019, Betty had a stroke while working at the park. She returned to work in a smaller way in January 2020.
To celebrate her 100th birthday, a middle school was renamed after her. Juan Crespi Middle School became Betty Reid Soskin Middle School.
Betty retired from the National Park Service on March 31, 2022. She was the oldest park ranger serving at that time.
Honors and Awards
Betty Reid Soskin has received many awards and honors for her amazing work and life:
- California Woman of the Year, California Legislature, 1995
- Builders of Communities and Dreams, National Women's History Project, 2006
- Mentioned in the book "Wherever there's a fight – the history of the ACLU in California", 2007
- Attended President Obama's Inauguration as a guest, 2009
- Received a special honor from Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, 2009
- Received an honorary doctorate degree from California College of the Arts, 2010
- Received the WAVE award as one of three "Women of Achievement", 2010
- Received a special presidential coin in 2015. It was stolen, but she got a new one in 2016.
- Received the Silver Service Medallion from The National WWII Museum, 2016
- Recognized in the Congressional Record (a record of what happens in Congress), 2016
- Received an honorary doctorate from Mills College, 2017
- Received the Robin W. Winks Award for Enhancing Public Understanding of National Parks, 2018
- Recognized again in the Congressional Record, 2019
- Juan Crespi Middle School was renamed Betty Reid Soskin Middle School on her 100th birthday, September 22, 2021.
