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[Pages H8303-H8304]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING BETTY REID SOSKIN
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
California (Mr. DeSaulnier) for 5 minutes.
Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of
esteemed public servant, activist, and great American Betty Reid
Soskin.
Betty is a constituent, a friend, and a pillar of Contra Costa County
in the Bay Area in California. She is fondly known as the National Park
Service's oldest serving ranger, at 98 years old, and is assigned to
the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park
in Richmond, California.
As an interpretive park ranger for the past 13 years, Betty has
educated thousands of visitors about the Rosies and her own experience
as a young Black woman working in Richmond during World War II. She
worked as a file clerk for the Boilermakers Union A-36, a Jim Crow, all
African American union auxiliary.
Betty has been an activist her whole life. She fought for civil
rights during Freedom Summer, was an activist against the Vietnam war,
helped with faith-based racial healing work in the Unitarian
Universalist church, and became a delegate to the 1972 Democratic
National Convention.
Betty also served as a legislative aide for a Berkeley city council
member and as a field representative for two California State Assembly
members, which led to her involvement in designing the Rosie the
Riveter National Park. Her advocacy ensured that marginalized
communities' narratives and stories were included in the park's
historical exhibits and resources on the war efforts in Richmond,
California.
In 1995, Betty was named a Woman of the Year by the California State
Legislature. She was also named one of the Nation's 10 outstanding
women in 2006 by the National Women's History Project.
In 2015, she was formally recognized by President Barack Obama, who
gave her a silver coin with the Presidential seal.
Born in 1921, Betty has lived through many pivotal moments in U.S.
history and is a crucial voice in speaking to the value of American
democracy, the realities of the African American struggle, and the
importance of continued progress.
In an interview for a feature in Glamour magazine, Betty said, when
she was Woman of the Year: ``Democracy has been experiencing these
periods of chaos since 1776. They come and go. And it's in those
periods that democracy is redefined. History has been written by people
who got it wrong, but the people who are always trying to get
[[Page H8304]]
it right have prevailed. If that were not true,'' Betty said, ``I would
still be a slave like my great-grandmother.''
Betty's colleagues, fans, and friends deeply admire her activism, her
leadership, and her dedication to social justice and to America. Her
positivity, sense of self, and commitment to doing what is right and
preserving and honoring our past continue to inspire us all.
Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating and celebrating this
wonderful American's dedicated service and in wishing her a speedy
recovery and good health. Her strong spirit and perseverance are an
inspiration to us all.
____________________
