A Century of Purpose: Betty Reid Soskin's Remarkable Journey
Betty Reid Soskin, who celebrated her 100th birthday in September 2021, has lived an extraordinary life that defies conventional expectations about age and achievement. The California resident made history by becoming America's oldest full-time national park ranger at 85 and continued working until her retirement at the remarkable age of 100.
From Government Shutdown to National Spotlight
It was in 2013, at 92 years old, that Soskin first captured national attention. During a federal government shutdown that furloughed 800,000 employees, news channels flocked to interview the determined park ranger who expressed frustration at being prevented from doing her job. This moment catapulted her into the public eye, transforming her into what many described as a rock star within the National Park Service.
"In a funny way, I suppose that started lots of things," Soskin reflects. The exposure led to significant milestones including her 2018 memoir Sign My Name to Freedom, the 2020 documentary No Time to Waste about her work, and another film currently in development. Her influence reached the highest levels when Barack Obama described her as profoundly inspiring, while Annie Leibovitz photographed her and Glamour magazine named her woman of the year.
Revolution Through Remembrance
Soskin played a crucial role in establishing the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California. Her work there was particularly significant because she ensured that the experiences of people of colour during wartime were properly represented. She famously noted that what gets remembered is determined by who's in the room doing the remembering.
Reflecting on her purpose during those years, Soskin described her position as almost "like I'm running a federally funded revolution." She adds, "I was very aware that I was in my 90s and I really didn't have time to waste."
Now at 104, Soskin acknowledges that her perception of time has evolved. "Now that I've held on a few more years, I really do feel old," she admits. "Memories are getting dimmer and dimmer, and events feel as if they happened yesterday and simultaneously many years ago. Time has collapsed in on itself."
Multiple Lives in One Lifetime
Betty Reid Soskin's life contains many distinct chapters, each with its own achievements and challenges:
- She co-founded Reid's Records in 1945, one of California's first black-owned record shops, with her then-husband Mel Reid
- She was a protest singer whose recordings from her 30s resurfaced on social media years later
- She worked as a civil rights and community activist, raising funds for the Black Panthers and combating local drug trade
- She served as a legislative aide in local government before joining the National Park Service
Soskin refers to these different phases as separate "Bettys" and says that for much of her life, she didn't truly know who Betty was. The transformation came in the late 1980s when three significant men in her life died within three months - her first husband Mel Reid, her second husband psychologist William Soskin, and her father.
"It's like I stepped out of one life and went into another," she explains. "That was actually when my life started. Because I didn't really know who I was until then. Then I became Betty. Oh, that was wonderful. I really began to see myself as being a part of the world."
Meeting Presidents and Making History
One of Soskin's most memorable experiences came in 2015 when she was invited to introduce President Barack Obama at the national Christmas tree-lighting ceremony in Washington DC. Notably, she had previously declined an invitation to the White House from President George W. Bush.
She recalls being led to where the Obamas stood between two flags. "Rather than look at the president, I was looking at her [Michelle] and saying out loud, 'You are so beautiful,'" Soskin remembers. She carried in her pocket that day a photograph of her great-grandmother, Leontine Breaux Allen, who had been born into slavery in 1846 and whom Betty knew well into her own 20s.
"I stood there like a page of history," Soskin reflects. I was standing beside the president of the United States. I was standing within the shadow of the White House. And it was built by slaves.
Reflections on Longevity and Legacy
Despite her many accomplishments, Soskin expresses concern about the current political climate and the world she's leaving behind. "I follow politics very closely," she says from her Richmond home where she lives with her daughter Di'ara. "Even going through the 50s and the 60s with civil rights, that was all progress. I don't feel as if that's so now."
She describes the present as "a time of chaos" and admits, We grow through life always thinking there's something better ahead. And for the first time in my life, I'm not sure there is.
When asked about her remarkable longevity, Soskin views it as a gift rather than an achievement. "I think it's given to us. I don't know that I could have controlled what I'm doing or how I'm living. I just don't. I think it's a gift. I don't know where it will lead or where it's going to take me. I have no idea. Except it's off. It's running free."
Now retired but still engaged, Betty Reid Soskin's life stands as a powerful testament to the potential for growth, purpose and impact at any age.
