Political Quotes

“Mr. President, as the chair of the Senate National Parks Subcommittee and on behalf of Senator Daines, the Ranking Member of the Senate National Parks Subcommittee, today, I wish to recognize Betty Reid Soskin, who recently retired as the National Park Service's oldest active ranger. Betty spent a decade and a half sharing her personal experiences as a ranger at the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Park in Richmond, CA. I want to thank Betty for her service and wish her well in her much-deserved retirement. Betty had a long path before landing at the National Park Service. She grew up in a Cajun-Creole, African-American family in Oakland, CA. Her family was forced to leave their home in New Orleans after the ``Great Flood'' in 1927, and they moved to Oakland to join Betty's maternal grandfather. After graduating from Castlemont High School, Betty went to work as a file clerk in a segregated union hall, Boilermaker's A-36, during World War II. Later, she and her husband, Mel Reid, opened Reid's Records, one of the first Black-owned music stores; the store remained open until fall of 2019. Betty also worked for a Berkley city council member and as a field representative in West Contra Costa County for two members of the California State Assembly. In the early 2000s, Betty was involved in the planning meetings with the city of Richmond and the National Park Service to develop the management plan for the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historic Park.…”