BETTY REID SOSKIN

(September 22, 1921 – and still going)

Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Betty Reid Soskin

Early Life and Background

Betty Charbonnet Soskin, born and raised in a Cajun-Creole, African American family, relocated to Oakland, California, after the devastating "Great Flood" of 1927 in New Orleans. Her parents joined her maternal grandfather, George Allen, who had resettled in Oakland after World War I. This move followed a pattern set by Black railroad workers who discovered the West Coast while working as sleeping car porters, waiters, and chefs for the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe railroads. They settled in the West, seeking a life less impacted by southern hostility.

Betty graduated from Castlemont High School in Oakland during the World's Fair at Treasure Island. She recalls ferry boats crossing the San Francisco Bay before the construction of its iconic bridges and remembers the Oakland International Airport when it consisted of just two small hangars. Notably, she recalls Amelia Earhart’s departure and tragic loss as vividly as if it happened yesterday and the ammunition ship explosion at Port Chicago on July 17, 1944.

Involvement with the National Park Service

In the early 2000s, Betty participated in meetings with the City of Richmond and the National Park Service (NPS) to develop the general management plan for the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park. She worked on an NPS grant funded by PG&E to uncover untold stories of African Americans on the Home Front during WWII, leading to a temporary position with the NPS at the age of 84. By 2007, Betty became a permanent NPS employee, leading public programs and sharing her personal remembrances at the park visitor center.

Accomplishments and Honors

Betty Reid Soskin has received numerous accolades for her lifetime of service and contributions:

• 1995: Named "Woman of the Year" by the California State Legislature.
• 2005: Recognized as one of the nation’s ten outstanding women "Builders of communities and dreams" by the National Women’s History Project.
• 2016: Received the Silver Medallion Award at the World War II Museum in New Orleans and the Sierra Club’s prestigious Trailblazer Award. Attended the grand opening ceremony of the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture as Interior Secretary Jewell’s guest.
• 2018: Honored at the Makers Conference in Hollywood and published her book, "Sign My Name to Freedom," based on her blog recounting her experiences from childhood to the present.
• 2019: Featured in the documentary “No Time To Waste: The Urgent Mission of Betty Reid Soskin,” produced by the Rosie the Riveter Trust.



For video interview of Betty Ried Soskin and more info, visit: https://www.nps.gov/rori/learn/historyculture/betty-reid-soskin.htm