A Heartbreaking Farewell to a Beloved Legend

Her memories stretched across nearly every chapter of modern American history. She remembered ferry boats crossing the Bay before bridges existed, Oakland’s airport as little more than two hangars, Amelia Earhart’s final flight, and the devastating Port Chicago explosion of 1944.

During World War II, Soskin worked as a file clerk in a segregated union hall. In 1945, she and her husband founded Reid’s Records, one of the first Black-owned music stores in the country, a cultural cornerstone that remained open for more than 70 years.

Her commitment to public service never wavered. She went on to work in local and state government, serving as a staff member to a Berkeley city council member and as a field representative for California legislators, always advocating for equity, inclusion, and truth.

One of the defining highlights of her remarkable life came in 2015, when President Barack Obama personally invited her to light the National Christmas Tree — honoring the moment by presenting her with a commemorative coin bearing the presidential seal.

”I look at it now and it seems almost unreal. It was something I never had dreamed and it turned out to be wonderful,” Soskin said in 2021.

Followed politics very closely
Right up until her final days, Soskin remained deeply engaged in the world around her — especially politics. In an interview with The Guardian, she spoke candidly about how she viewed the current political climate in the United States.