Katharina Buczek
Betty Reid Soskin, a beloved ranger at Rosie The Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historic Park in Richmond, California, has recently retired at one hundred years old.
She will not only be remembered as “the oldest active ranger in the National Park Service” ever but also for her lifelong contributions to educating the public on history.
In September of 1921, Betty was born in Detroit, Michigan. After living through the “Great Flood” in 1927, she moved to Oakland, California, during the Great Migration. There, her career began to blossom.
Betty is credited with founding Reid’s Records in Berkley in 1945– one of the very first Black-owned record stores in the area. Betty and her husband, Mel Reid, worked diligently to get the business off the ground.
Their love for music and entrepreneurship blossomed into a well-known family business that operated until 2019.
Betty is also an accomplished musician in her own right and, in 1964, wrote “Your Hand In Mine.” This song highlighted Fannie Lou Hamer, a civil rights activist.
Betty used music as an escape to cope with and highlight social inequities, prejudices, and political polarization. She continued composing and performing throughout the years.
Then, in 2000, Betty visited the Rosie The Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historic Park and found a new avenue to share her essential perspective on history.
Betty Reid Soskin; pictured above is Betty
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
