Aging with Purpose and Redefining Strength for Black Women

Our Body Politic

Diaspora Farms, LLC

News Commentary, Documentary, Society & Culture, Government, News

4.8 • 658 Ratings

🗓️ 6 May 2022

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What does it mean to age with purpose? In this week’s show, we are invited to hear a past conversation between Farai and author of Sign My Name to Freedom Betty Reid Soskin, who recently retired at age 100 from her work as a National Park Ranger and community historian. Then in “Our Body Politics Presents,” we hear more from Tonya Mosley’s podcast “Truth Be Told” where she speaks to Ayanna Brown, a mother who graciously details her cycle of loving, losing, grieving, and persevering. On the weekly segment, “Sippin’ the Political Tea” Farai speaks with professor and Vice Chair of preventive medicine at Northwestern University, Dr. Mercedes Carnethon and author of 55, Underemployed and Faking Normal, Elizabeth White on how to age well, physically, emotionally and financially.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, folks, we are so glad that you're listening to Our Body Politic. If you have time, please consider
0:21.2	leaving us a review on Apple Podcast. It helps other listeners find us and we read them for your
0:26.9	feedback. We are here for you, with you and because of you. Thank you. This is Our Body
0:35.7	Politic. I'm Farai Chidea. Later on our show, we're going to talk about
0:40.2	aging well and how to start thinking about it when we're younger. When I envision aging with
0:45.6	purpose and vigor, the first person I think about is my friend Betty Reid-Soskin. Betty recently
0:51.4	retired at age 100 from her work as a National Park Ranger and Community Historian.
0:57.5	Last fall, I joined Betty and her family to celebrate her centennial at her workplace,
1:02.1	the Rosie the Riveter World War II Homefront National Historical Park.
1:06.7	People traveled from all over the world to hear Betty speak about people too often left out of history.
1:12.3	I interviewed Betty in 2014 when she was 92 years old, and afterwards we became friends.
1:18.7	Intergenerational friendships sustain my soul. Today, I wanted to play you and her, a little time capsule of that conversation.
1:28.3	In between this interview and her retirement, Betty wrote her memoir, Sign My Name to Freedom.
1:33.8	She got a commemorative coin from President Obama after lighting the national Christmas tree
1:38.3	and then fought off a home invader who stole that same coin and punched her in the face.
1:44.6	Yes, she fought him off at age 94.
1:48.4	So here's to aging with purpose.
1:50.5	Betty, you continue to inspire me and I hope to see you soon.
1:54.4	From the archives, originally for the podcast One with Farai,
1:57.6	here's my 2014 conversation with National Park Ranger and community Historian Betty Reid Soskin, now retired.
2:05.9	Hello, Betty. It's an honor to have you with us.
2:08.1	Hello.
	...

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