From the Cotton Fields of Mississippi to Five Living Generations in San Diego
Courtesy of Artavia Taylor
PHOTOS: Darrel Wheeler
Albertha Riley is a centenarian; only 1/10 of one percent of all people currently living on planet Earth are over100 years of age. San Diego has a rare gem living in our midst.
100 years ago, Ms. Albertha Riley was born into a family of sharecroppers in Leland, Mississippi.
She enjoyed her milestone birthday with a two-part celebration. On Friday, July 24 she enjoyed a ladies spa and lunch day with 15 family members and friends. On Saturday, July 25, over 100 guests joined in the full celebration at Encanto Southern Baptist church. The program included encouraging words from numerous pastors, heartfelt sentiments from family members and friends, proclamations from San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and District 4 Councilmember Henry L. Foster. Mayor Gloria proclaimed July 24, 2026, as Albertha Riley Day. Albertha received a framed resolution from California Senate member Akilah Weber Pierson, M.D, and a personal letter from Barack and Michelle Obama.
Born on July 24, 1926, Ms. Riley grew up in the segregated South during the Jim Crow era, where poverty and limited opportunities were a way of life. Yet those early hardships forged the determination, resilience, and unwavering faith that would define the next century of her life.
In February 1947, shortly after marrying, she and her husband made the courageous journey west to San Diego, joining thousands of African Americans who left the South in search of opportunity, dignity, and a better future for their families.
When her marriage ended, Ms. Riley faced the enormous responsibility of raising nine children as a single mother. She later welcomed a tenth child into her family. Through perseverance, sacrifice, and steadfast love, she provided a stable home and instilled values that continue to shape generations of her descendants.
Her determination led to a successful career with the County of San Diego, where she dedicated more than 21 years of public service before retiring. Albertha achieved homeownership through hard work and discipline and continued to live independently in the home she purchased in the 70s.
A devoted member of Encanto Southern Baptist Church, Ms. Riley’s faith has remained the cornerstone of her life. She has traveled throughout the United States and internationally, including visits to Rome and Israel.
At 100 years old, Ms. Riley continues to inspire. She prepares her own meals, manages her finances, enjoys visits and phone conversations with friends and family, and maintained a flourishing garden until the age of 99. She voluntarily gave up driving at age 95, demonstrating the same wisdom and responsibility that have characterized her entire life.
Today, her greatest achievement is the family she nurtured. Ms. Riley is the proud matriarch of 10 children, 16 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-grandchild, with five living generations gathering to honor the woman whose love and strength made their family possible.
“Her life reminds us that history is not only found in textbooks—it lives in the stories of people like our mother,” said her family. “She survived hardship without bitterness, raised a family with love and dignity, and carries a legacy measured not simply by years, but by lives transformed.”
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