Betty Reid Soskin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Betty Reid Soskin
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Soskin in 2014
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Betty Charbonnet
September 22, 1921 Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
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| Died | December 21, 2025 (aged 104) Richmond, California, U.S.
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| Education | Castlemont High School |
| Occupation | National Park Service ranger |
| Employer | National Park Service |
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Betty Reid Soskin (born Charbonnet; September 22, 1921 – December 21, 2025) was an inspiring American park ranger. She worked for the National Park Service at the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California. When she retired on March 31, 2022, at 100 years old, she was the oldest park ranger working in the United States.
Early Life and Learning
Betty Charbonnet was born in Detroit, Michigan, on September 22, 1921. Her parents, Dorson Louis Charbonnet and Lottie Breaux Allen, were from Louisiana. Her family had roots in both Creole and Cajun cultures. Her great-grandmother was born in 1846, at a time when many people were not free. Betty spent her early years in New Orleans. In 1927, a big storm and flood damaged her family's home and business. After this, her family moved to Oakland, California. She later graduated from Castlemont High School in Oakland.
Betty's Work and Activism
During World War II, Betty worked as a file clerk. She was part of a special group for African American workers called Boilermakers Union A-36. Her job was to keep track of workers' addresses.
In 1945, Betty and her husband, Mel Reid, opened Reid's Records in Berkeley, California. This was a small business owned by African Americans that sold Gospel music. In the 1950s, they moved to Walnut Creek, California. Their children went to good schools there. However, the family faced unfair treatment because of their race. They even received threats after building their home in a mostly white neighborhood. The store closed in 2019.
Betty became involved with the Unitarian Universalist Church. In the 1960s, she wrote many songs for 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, a psychology professor. In 1978, she took over running the music store. This led her to become active in her community. She became a well-known community activist.
She worked for California State Assemblywomen Dion Aroner and Loni Hancock. In these roles, she helped plan a special park. This park would remember the important work women did during World War II at home. These efforts led to the creation of the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park in 2000. The park helps future generations remember women's contributions to the war.
Betty shared her own memories of African American women working during the war. She explained that these women often faced unfair treatment because of their race. She believed that history is best told by those who lived it.
In 2003, she became a consultant for the park she helped create. Then, in 2007, at 85 years old, she became a National Park Ranger.
As a park ranger, Betty guided tours and taught visitors about the park's history. She made sure that the stories of African Americans during wartime were included. This meant showing both the progress made and the unfair treatment they sometimes faced.
Betty once said she wished she had her confidence when she was younger. But she felt grateful to have it later in life, using it to stand up for what she believed in.
Her book, Sign My Name to Freedom, came out in 2018. A movie about her life and music, also called Sign My Name to Freedom, was filmed starting in 2016.
Retirement and Passing
Betty had a stroke in 2019 while working. She returned to work in a smaller role in 2020. She retired from the National Park Service on March 31, 2022. She was the oldest park ranger still working at that time.
Betty Soskin passed away at her home in Richmond on December 21, 2025. She was 104 years old.
Honors and Legacy
Betty Reid Soskin received many awards and honors for her work:
- California Woman of the Year, California Legislature, 1995
- Builders of Communities and Dreams, National Women's History Project, 2005
- Cited in "Wherever there's a fight—the history of the ACLU in California" – Elaine Elinson and Stan Yogi, 2009
- Attended President Obama's Inauguration as a guest of Rep. George Miller, 2009
- Honorary doctorate from California College of the Arts, 2011
- She received a special presidential coin in 2015. After it was stolen in 2016, she was given a new one.
- The National WWII Museum Silver Service Medallion, 2016
- Recognition in the Congressional Record, 2016
- Honorary doctorate of arts and letters from Mills College, 2017
- The Robin W. Winks Award for helping people understand National Parks, 2018
- Recognition in the Congressional Record, 2019
To celebrate her 100th birthday in 2021, a school was renamed in her honor: Betty Reid Soskin Middle School. A musical play about her life, called Sign My Name to Freedom, first showed in March 2024.
