Betty Reid Soskin was a trailblazer whose influence reached far beyond the recognition she received during much of her life. Many people encountered her work without realizing how profoundly she reshaped the way American history is told.
Soskin passed away peacefully on December 21, 2025, at the age of 104. At the time of her death, she was widely known as the oldest living National Park Service ranger, a title that reflected not only her longevity but her lifelong commitment to truth, justice, and public memory.
Remarkably, her work with the National Park Service began in her mid-80s. At the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California, Soskin challenged traditional narratives by insisting that the experiences of African Americans and other marginalized communities be fully included in the story of the war.
She officially retired in 2022 at age 100, becoming the oldest active ranger in the agency’s history. Retirement did not slow her engagement. She continued speaking publicly, advising institutions, and reminding audiences that history is shaped by whose voices are included.
Born Betty Charbonnet in 1921, Soskin’s life spanned nearly every major chapter of modern American history. Her family migrated from the Jim Crow South to California, and her memories captured a nation in transformation, from wartime tragedies to civil rights struggles.
During World War II, she worked in a segregated union hall, witnessing firsthand the inequalities often excluded from celebratory home-front narratives. These experiences later became central to her historical interpretation.
In 1945, she co-founded Reid’s Records, one of the first Black-owned music stores in the U.S., which served as a cultural hub for decades. She also worked in government, advocating for equity and inclusion.
Betty Reid Soskin did more than witness history. She corrected it, expanded it, and ensured long-ignored voices were heard, leaving a legacy that will continue to shape how America remembers itself.