Betty Reid Soskin, Oldest U.S. Park Ranger and Trailblazing Historian, Dies at 104

By Otis R. Taylor Jr., KQED

Betty Reid Soskin, the nation’s oldest park ranger when she retired in 2022 at age 100, and a trailblazer in preserving the history of Black Americans and women, died Dec. 21. She was 104.

Soskin devoted her life to telling stories that might otherwise have gone untold, highlighting the contributions of marginalized communities and ensuring that forgotten voices were brought to the forefront of American history.

Born Betty Charbonnet in Detroit on Sept. 22, 1921, Soskin spent her early years in New Orleans with her Creole family. She survived the devastating Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, an event that displaced her family and prompted their move to Oakland. Her childhood experiences shaped her understanding of race, resilience and community, laying the foundation for her lifelong commitment to advocacy and justice.

During World War II, Soskin worked as a file clerk for the U.S. Air Force but resigned after discovering that her employers had hired her under the assumption that she was white. This pivotal moment illuminated the systemic racism of the era and fueled her passion for equity and truth-telling. She later worked in a segregated unit of the Boilermakers union, where she witnessed firsthand the discrimination faced by Black workers in the wartime industry.

In 1945, she and her first husband, Mel Reid, founded Reid’s Records in Berkeley, one of the first Black-owned record stores in the Bay Area. For nearly 75 years, the store served as a community hub, providing music and resources to South Berkeley’s Black community. It was also a space for activism and cultural exchange, reflecting Soskin’s enduring dedication to uplifting marginalized voices.

Soskin’s advocacy took on new dimensions later in life when she became a prominent voice at the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond. Starting as a temporary employee at the age of 84, she became a permanent National Park Service ranger in 2011.

Learn more about Soskin’s amazing life.

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