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Betty Reid Soskin

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5 out of 5
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Oldest National Park Ranger Serving in the United States

Betty Reid Soskin
Travels From Travels From:
Richmond, CA, USA
Speaking Fee Speaking Fee:
Live Event: $5,000 - $10,000
Virtual Event: $5,000 - $10,000
More Fee Info
Categories Categories:
Categories Categories:
Black Heritage, Diversity & Inclusion, Empowerment, Influential Women, Leadership, Personal Growth, Social Activism, Women's Empowerment, Women's Rights
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Betty Reid Soskin Biography

99-year-old Betty Charbonnet Reid Soskin is, among other things, America’s oldest active park ranger. Her skills as a storyteller have made her an in-demand public speaker, appearing on NPR’s The Moth as well as The Today Show, and CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, among other influential radio and television programs. In 2018, she was named one of Glamour Magazine’s “Women of The Year,” and in 2005, she was named one of the nation’s “Ten Outstanding Women” by the National Women’s History Project. In 1995, she was designated a “Woman of the Year” by the California State Legislature, and in 2015 was chosen to introduce Barack Obama at the annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony on PBS.

Born into a Cajun/Creole African-American family in Detroit in 1921, Betty spent her earliest years in New Orleans in the era of lynchings and Jim Crow segregation. Her distinguished life has included being an author, composer and singer, social and political activist, entrepreneur, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, historian, blogger, and public speaker. Betty was instrumental in the establishment of the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California, where she now gives presentations several times every week.

Along with her first husband, Mel, Betty helped integrate the East Bay suburbs by moving their family into a previously white neighborhood. Betty and Mel also founded one of the first Black-owned record shop businesses in California. After working with elected officials to rehabilitate the block on which the record shop was located, Betty served on the staff of a Berkeley City Councilmember and then as field representative to two members of the California State Assembly. In the 1960s and 70s, she was active in the Bay Area’s civil rights and Black Power movements, as well as the movement to end the Vietnam War.

Soskin’s reflections are aided by the fact that her great grandmother, a slave herself until the age of 19, lived until Betty was in her twenties. Soskin’s riveting commentary is directly informed then by over a century of her family’s and her own personal experience, creating her unique perspective on the extensive arc of civil rights from slavery through the Dred Scott Decision, the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, Reconstruction and through to the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Panthers and Black Lives Matter.

Betty’s incredible life was chronicled in her acclaimed 2018 memoir and audio book, Sign My Name to Freedom. With A Lifetime of Being Betty comes a memorable portrait of a remarkable woman and of a lifetime filled with joy and pain taken directly from her powerful live presentations. In 2020, the documentary film No Time to Waste was released, chronicling her years of service at Rosie the Riveter. Her blog, CBreaux Speaks, has thousands of followers.

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Betty Reid Soskin Videos

  • Fireside Chat with Betty Reid Soskin (Cloud Next '19) - YouTube
    Fireside Chat with Betty Reid Soskin (Cloud Next '19) - YouTube
    Join this uplifting fireside chat with Bay Area changemaker, activist, author, and the oldest park ranger with the National Park Service, ...
  • BETTY REID SOSKIN: A LEGACY OF SERVICE - YouTube
    BETTY REID SOSKIN: A LEGACY OF SERVICE - YouTube
    At 96, she's currently the oldest serving career park ranger with the National Park Service—just one chapter in a long life of public service ...
  • This Is Us! Betty Soskin
    This Is Us! Betty Soskin
    Betty Soskin is a Ranger at the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Park in Richmond, CA. Betty is one of the most enthusiastic and...
See All Videos »

Betty Reid Soskin Books

  • Sign My Name to Freedom: A Memoir of a Pioneering Life
    Sign My Name to Freedom: A Memoir of a Pioneering Life

FAQs on booking Betty Reid Soskin

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  • What are the speaker fees for Betty Reid Soskin

    Speaking fees for Betty Reid Soskin, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Betty Reid Soskin are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Betty Reid Soskin, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

  • What topics does Betty Reid Soskin speak about?

    Betty Reid Soskin is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Black Heritage, Diversity & Inclusion, Empowerment, Influential Women, Leadership, Personal Growth, Social Activism, Women's Empowerment, Women's Rights.

  • Where does Betty Reid Soskin travel from?

    Betty Reid Soskin generally travels from Richmond, CA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.

  • Who is Betty Reid Soskin’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Betty Reid Soskin for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Betty Reid Soskin for your next private or corporate function.

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Betty Reid Soskin is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Betty Reid Soskin for your event is $5,000 - $10,000. Betty Reid Soskin generally travels from Richmond, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Dr. Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins, Xernona Clayton, Ellen McGirt, Meena Harris and Minyon Moore. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Betty Reid Soskin for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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