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, born Betty Charbonnet on 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. When she retired on March 31, 2022, at 100 years old, she was the oldest park ranger working in the United States!
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Betty's Early Life and Family
Betty Charbonnet was born in 1921 in Detroit, Michigan. Her parents, Dorson Louis Charbonnet and Lottie Breaux Allen, were both from Louisiana. Her family had a mix of Creole and Cajun backgrounds. Her great-grandmother was born into slavery in 1846.
Moving to California
Betty spent her early childhood in New Orleans. But in 1927, a big hurricane and flood destroyed her family's home and business. After that, her family moved all the way to Oakland, California. Betty later graduated from Castlemont High School in Oakland.
Working During World War II
During World War II, Betty 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 main job was to file address changes for workers who moved often.
Starting a Business and Facing Challenges
In June 1945, Betty and her husband at the time, Mel Reid, started a business. They opened Reid's Records in Berkeley, California. It was a small business owned by Black people that sold Gospel music.
In the 1950s, Betty and Mel moved to Walnut Creek, California. They wanted their children to go to better public schools there. They also sent them to a private school called Pinel. However, their family faced a lot of racism. Betty and her husband even received threats after they built their home in the mostly white neighborhood.
Betty's Amazing Career
Betty became very active in her community. She joined the Mount Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church. She also became a well-known songwriter in the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s.
Betty and Mel Reid divorced in 1972. Later, in 1978, she married William Soskin, a psychology professor. When Mel Reid's health declined, Betty took over running the music store. This made her even more involved in community activities. Reid's Records closed its doors on October 19, 2019.
Helping Create a National 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 on the Home Front during World War II.
Her hard work led to the creation of the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park in 2000. This park helps future generations remember how much women helped during the war. Betty shared her own memories of how African American women worked in a still segregated environment. She said that often, she was "the only person in the room who had any reason to remember that."
Becoming a Park Ranger
In 2003, Betty left her state job. She became a consultant for the park she helped create. Then, in 2007, at the age of 85, she became a National Park Ranger for the National Park Service.
As a park ranger, Betty gave tours and explained the park's history. She made sure that the experiences of African Americans during wartime were remembered. This included both the steps toward integration and the presence of discrimination.
In 2015, when she was 93, Betty said she wished she had her current confidence when she was younger. But she felt she could use it now to help others. She released her memoir, Sign My Name to Freedom, in February 2018. A documentary about her music, 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 limited way in January 2020. To celebrate her 100th birthday, a school was renamed in her honor. Juan Crespi Middle School became Betty Reid Soskin Middle School.
On March 31, 2022, Betty retired from the National Park Service. 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
- Cited in "Wherever there's a fight—the history of the ACLU in California" – Elaine Elinson and Stan Yogi, 2007
- Attended President Obama's Inauguration as a guest of Rep. George Miller, 2009
- Received a special proclamation from Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, 2009
- Received an honorary doctorate from California College of the Arts, 2010
- Received the WAVE award as one of three "Women of Achievement" by GirlSource of San Francisco, 2010
- Received a special presidential coin in 2015. It was stolen in 2016, but she received a new one later that year.
- The National WWII Museum Silver Service Medallion, 2016
- Recognized in the Congressional Record in 2016.
- Received an honorary doctorate from Mills College, 2017
- Received the Robin W. Winks Award for Enhancing Public Understanding of National Parks from the National Parks Conservation Association, 2018
- Recognized again in the Congressional Record in 2019
- Juan Crespi Middle School was renamed Betty Reid Soskin Middle School on her 100th birthday, September 22, 2021.
