The East Bay Regional Park District Board of Directors honored the late Betty Reid Soskin on April 7, recognizing her profound impact as a historian and the oldest active ranger in the history of the National Park Service.
During the meeting, the Board presented a proclamation to Bob Reid, the son of Soskin, who passed away on Dec. 21, 2025, at 104. Soskin was lauded as a “truth-teller” whose advocacy ensured that the contributions and struggles of black women and laborers during World War II remained a permanent part of the national narrative.
The board’s proclamation highlights how Soskin, who was born in Detroit, raised in Oakland and lived for a long while in Richmond, began her career as a park ranger at age 85 at the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park. Her work was deeply informed by her personal history, including her time spent working in a segregated union auxiliary during the war years. The experiences allowed her to provide a critical and inclusive lens on the home front story, eventually leading to national recognition when she was honored by President Barack Obama in 2015.
A significant portion of the tribute focused on Soskin’s commitment to the history of the Port Chicago sailors. Her efforts were instrumental in bringing awareness to the 1944 explosion and the subsequent mutiny trial of 50 black sailors who refused to return to dangerous work conditions. The district noted that her legacy is physically tied to the landscape at the Thurgood Marshall Regional Park, home of the Port Chicago 50, where the stories she championed will continue to be interpreted for future generations.
Soskin was also noted as a musician and who had owned a record store in Berkeley.
She “lived an extraordinary life and shared her experiences that would play an instrumental role in helping our nation to confront the truth about its history,” the proclamation states.
