Betty Reid Soskin, the National Park Service’s oldest active Ranger, turns 100
Today, September 22, 2021, is the 100th birthday of Betty Reid Soskin, the country’s oldest active National Park Service Ranger. This article from NPR celebrates Soskin’s numerous lifetime accomplishments: her role as a riveter in WWII, as a civil rights activist, as a businesswoman, and most recently, planning and development of the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historic Park in Richmond, CA where she currently lives and works. Interestingly, Soskin had a love/hate relationship with Rosie the Riveter, stating she never saw herself as one and ” ‘That really is a white woman’s story.’ ” She joined the Park Service in order to share the untold stories of Black Americans on the WWII home front. You can read more about Soskin’s life in her autobiography, Sign My Name to Freedom, available on her website here. (I have read the book and had the opportunity to hear her speak at the Park. Truly amazing! I had chills down my back the entire time. If you live in/near the Bay Area, the park is well worth a visit!)
Dear Kira, thank you for sharing. The interview is also fascinating. Gender, race, class, a lot of issues are touched. I will also read her autobiography, thank you for recommendation. As always, I often get inspirations from those great women role models.
Hi Mujun, I’m so glad to hear that you want to learn more about Betty! I think she is one of the coolest women in all of history 🙂 I hope you enjoy her book. (I think I lent my copy to someone else or else I would offer it to you!)
thank you for sharing very interested