Proposal would rename El Sobrante school after Betty Reid Soskin

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Join National Park Service ranger, Betty Reid Soskin for an hour long informal virtual chat, every Thursday, at 2 pm, beginning May 13. Betty will share her thoughts and insights and answer questions in this informal virtual gathering. For those who have met her, this will be another opportunity to connect and share. For those who have yet to meet her, this will be a chance to ask those questions you have always wanted to ask. The session will be moderated by Ranger Armand Johnson, and may vary in length depending on how Betty is feeling. This free program is open to all ages and no reservations are required. To view the virtual event or for more information, please visit the park website at www.nps.gov/rori. Or call the Rosie the Riveter/ WWII Home National Historical Park (NHP) Visitor Education Center at (510) 232-5050 x 0. At Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front NHP, Betty illuminates the invisible histories of African Americans and other people of color, and her efforts, demonstrate how her work has impacted the way the National Park Service conveys such history to audiences across the United States. Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, CA is the flagship National Park Service site selected to tell the story of Rosie the Riveter and WWII Home Front workers of all kinds. This unique park chronicles the explosive growth of wartime industry, the innovations fostered by visionaries like Henry J. Kaiser, and the extraordinary history of ordinary people who were challenged as never before and came together to overcome wartime odds. The Rosie the Riveter Visitor Education Center is open seven days a week from 10 AM to 5 PM and is located at 1414 Harbour Way South, suite 3000, Richmond, CA 94804. For more information and directions to the Visitor Education Center, please call (510) 232-5050 x0 or visit to http://www.nps.gov/rori/planyourvisit/directions.htm. Admission to the Visitor Center and programs is free.
Betty Reid Soskin (Photo courtesy of Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond)

Will Juan Crespi Middle School in El Sobrante be renamed after Betty Reid Soskin?

During a Zoom meeting at 7 p.m. tonight, a committee appointed by the West Contra Costa Board of Education will explore changing the name of the middle school at 1121 Allview Rd.

One proposal is to rename the school after Soskin, 99, the nationally-acclaimed Rosie the Riveter Park Ranger who is America’s oldest ranger as well as an author and civil rights activist.

A second proposal is to rename the school as Chochenyo Middle School, in honor of the Ohlone tribe whose land the District currently inhabits.

WCCUSD says the name change was requested by Crespi’s school community, including students, staff and leadership from its African American Parent Advisory Committee and Parent Club. They were motivated by social justice movements during the pandemic and began examining the school’s namesake. As part of the effort, the school’s history department designed a research project to “investigate and research Juan Crespi, the California Missions, and the impact on the indigenous people.” Students shared their findings with  “What is in a Name” research projects.

The Board subcommittee will consider the name change after reviewing community input.