Betty Reid Soskin
Appearances
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
Thank you very much. The year was 1953. And my young husband and I, now by then, were parents of three children, of two and one on the way. We'd reached the place where we were about to make the decision of building a home. Where we were going to locate that home had some problems. Every Sunday afternoon, we would drive out to Mel's father's and parents' place.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
that was about 30 miles out from the San Francisco Bay Area into the suburbs, where they had a little truck garden where they kept two horses. The children would ride, but we would pass through Saranap, a small suburban area between two cities, Lafayette and Walnut Creek in California. There, we found a lot. There was an old concrete swimming pool in the middle of it.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
I think it had been a recreation area at some point. But there were orchards. There were oak trees. It was bordered by a creek. It was just exactly what we wanted, except for the fact that we were African-American. And we were contemplating building a home in the segregated white suburbs. We did that. We did it feeling that we were entitled to do this.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
We got a white person who was married to one of our friends to make the purchase. A Quaker, Lusul Smith, who was an architect, who was willing to design our home. And we proceeded to do that. But being African-Americans, in a restricted area. We were going to be subject to death threats for five years. During the period of the construction, we had to make decisions.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
We had an eight-year-old, a third grader, who had to be enrolled in school. Decision to enter RIC into school was made simply because had we gone into the fall, his education would have been interrupted in the local school where he was attending as a third grader.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
But if he rode out with his father every day onto the site while the house was being constructed, we would drop him off into the lion's den of a school where he would be the only black child We were the only family, the only family of color in the entire valley at the time.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
We had no idea that Rick would be subject, the target of those dinnertime conversations that were unmitigated bigotry in the presence of white children by their parents. and that they would act out that hatred on the school grounds against my child. We wouldn't know that until much later. We did make some friends, a couple of friends.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
One was Marion Powelson, who had bought a lot with her psychiatrist husband because we were there. She was progressive. and Bessie Gilbert, a Mormon, six foot tall, pioneer woman across the street. These were our friends. As the house was under construction, a strange thing began to happen. I would be sitting in my car at the end of the day, just about dusk, sitting in the car in the summer heat,
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
watching the streets, listening to the frogs, listening to the crickets, trying to get used to being in this area. And each day, almost without question, some neighbor would walk down the street, would stop at the car, would say, I am, and they'd get me their names, I hope you'll be happy here.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
At the same time, the Improvement Association was meeting, and we were getting vicious letters threatening to burn the lumber as fast as we could stack it to do the construction on the house. It was a very, very strange thing because it seemed to me that what people could do collectively, few could do individually. because almost every one of those neighbors stopped by at some point.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
One day, Marian Powelson, who had been to Sam's Market down by the creek, came home, pounded on my door, irate. She was holding a poster in her hand announcing a minstrel show at the school. A minstrel show, any of you can remember or are aware, was a form of entertainment that took place during Reconstruction. It was always white folks pretending to be black folks.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
And they were always created ridicule of African Americans, of people of color. But this minstrel show was being put on by the PTA as a fundraiser at the school that my child was a single black student. Marion, in fury, said, you must do something. I hadn't a clue of how to confront this. I lived with it for about 24 hours. I didn't know how to explain it to my children.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
It was something that was alien to my lifetime. I had grown up in California. On the day before the minstrel show was to be held, one day after Marian's announcement, I got into my car, drove to the school not having a clue as to what I was going to say. My breath was being gasped out. The lump in my throat threatened to smother me. And as I neared the school, panic set in.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
But I got out, parked my car, walked into the principal's office down the hall. He was out on the playground, I suppose. But his costume was hanging over the doorway. Big blousey black pants, a white shirt. I suppose it was a bandana tie with red polka dots. A kinky wig was on his desk. I sat and wondered what I would say. And suddenly, there he was, coming down the hallway.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
And as he caught sight of me, he turned on his heel to walk away. And to his credit, he turned back after about five feet. And he came into the office. He proceeded. And then the words began to flow. And I said, you know this is wrong. And there was a pause, and then he said, but not until I saw you there. But I don't know why. It was very clear that he really didn't know why.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
Then he said, you know, Mrs. Reed, We love colored people. In fact, we are only showing how happy-go-lucky they are. And I said, but do I look happy-go-lucky? And he said, no. And I could see the pain in his face. And suddenly the words began to flow and I said, you cannot do this because as educators, as educators, you have no right. But I'll tell you what, it's too late now.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
Your show is only 24 hours away. And I will insist that tonight at your dress rehearsal, you Explain my visit to your staff. Tell them what I've told you. And I said, and I will be in the audience tomorrow evening. I went home. Next day, Bessie Gilbert and I went over early. Sat front row center. and made them perform the entire ugly show in our presence with tears streaming.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
It was a miserable evening. I'm not sure what we accomplished. I've never known. But I do know that that was when I came into my being as a resident of that community. And I don't know what we accomplished because within a week, at Sam's Market, there was a poster announcing the Aunt Jemima pancake feed coming up within three weeks. Thank you very much.