Because of her

Callie Mae Hughes Infante was born in Clarksville, Texas where she and 11 other siblings were the children of sharecroppers.

She married young, which was normal for the time, and had 3 children with a man named Marshall; they later divorced.

In the south, a woman was not allowed to own land, under her own name; at least that’s what she was being told by the local banks.

During that time, descendants of Africa weren’t treated very “American-like” and faced racial barriers in the form of “redlining”, restricting fair treatment in many avenues of opportunity.

This never deterred her from persevering, however, finding a way to obtain her own land and secure a better future for her three kids.

She met a man named, Ruben, who ended up helping her purchase land as a co-signer. She charmed him with her good looks, fearless personality, and chef-like qualities; which eventually won him over.

They were later married and moved to a small town is south Texas; Port Arthur, Texas to be exact.

As a beautician, she worked her hands to the bone for over 60 years to help feed her family and show them they had options in this world beyond what was being presented.

Known for having really strong hands, it was her strong will, courage, and determination that would inspire her generations to pursue higher education.

She never graduated from high school, leaving school to work on the cotton fields by the 8th grade.

Despite missing the opportunity to finish school, she made sure the generations that followed would graduate from high school and pursue a life of their choosing.

Needless to say, she found a way to save enough money for her own children to get an early start in life. She put aside savings of $2,500 for each of her (7) grandchildren; under the condition that they graduated from high school.

It’s ‘because of her’ efforts, two generations of her family became college graduates, producing two doctors.

She often worked tirelessly into the evenings, as she had two jobs; one as a beautician and the other as a devoted wife.

Before the sun awoke, she would be up at the crack of dawn making breakfast for her husband, would work all day at the shop, and cook dinner for her family in the evening.

My grandfather gushes about how sweet she was as he chases memories with a shot of bitter coffee over the phone.

She was like a superhero for all of us, as she represented a refuge in a time of poverty in my immediate family.

She even took me in as a pre-teen and let me know it was safe to be my best self; challenging me to be better than just passing or average.

Stating often, “Always do your best, every opportunity you get”, which never placed me in the mindset to take things for granted.

She would always say how proud of us she was and supported our passions.

Her spirit and smile on the countenance of her face lit up a room when she entered, as she was stranger to no one; kind to all.

My grandmother was there when I ran into a few bumps in the road, showed up to every game in high school, and was there when I received my bachelor’s degree.

What made me most proud; was that she was there to see me walk across that stage in honor of her; on my birthday (omen)!!!

If only she could have seen me get my masters, however, she could only attend in spirit, as she passed after finishing her battle with lung cancer two months prior.

My grandfather, Ruben, was at that graduation, as he seemed to celebrate her memory as part of my ceremony.

She was an expert at bringing all of our families together during the major holidays, and family events.

She is missed sorely as things have never returned to the times where she displayed her magic most … with family, as family.

That woman is easily the mother Dragon of our tribe as her fire for achievement burns in us all, inspiring us still.

Rest In Power Mrs. Callie Mae, you are forever loved and you’re also my ‘International Woman's Day’ recipient, eternally.