At 103 years previous, Senetta Clifton has lived by means of a few of the most transformative moments in American historical past.
A revered educator, a group pillar and a supply of unwavering knowledge, Clifton’s life journey—from a small-town lady in Palestine to a beloved determine in Houston’s academic panorama—has left her group in awe of her energy, sharp wit and heat vitality.
As a long-time Riceville Mt. Olive Baptist Church member, the congregation rolled out all of the stops to honor its most senior member who’s getting into one other yr of life in good well being and cheerful spirit.
“ [She] had a big impact on the youth of Riceville. For those who met her, you’d bear in mind her,” stated a congregation member throughout a gap speech. “Her affect on the youth will final perpetually.”
Born on January 27, 1922, Clifton was one in all 17 siblings raised on a farm in East Texas. Rising up in a family the place laborious work and household unity had been paramount, she developed a robust sense of self-discipline and dedication early on.
“I got here up as a poor lady,” Clifton recalled. “I used to select cotton. My daddy has a retailer that he grew. We helped elevate cane within the discipline and took the meal to make syrup. It was a part of the merchandise that we bought on the retailer alongside freeway 75 and ran from Houston to Dallas and Fort Value. In every single place. Folks got here and acquired it.”
Her youngsters had been additionally very hands-on.
“Mother grew to become the particular person she is immediately as a result of she grew up understanding learn how to do all types of abilities and having that household assist,” stated Cynthia Austin, Clifton’s daughter. “She used that basis to push herself ahead and, in flip, to uplift others.”
A lifelong dedication to training
Training was not simply accessible for Black college students in rural Texas, however Clifton was decided to interrupt limitations. With the encouragement of her academics and household, she pursued greater training, incomes levels in Dwelling Economics from Prairie View A&M College and Texas Southern College. She then launched into a profession in training that spanned over 41 years, serving as a classroom instructor and counselor, shaping the lives of numerous college students throughout Texas.
“Mrs. Clifton wasn’t only a instructor—she was a information, a mentor, and a second mom to so many people,” recalled former scholar Sandra Martin. “She made certain we understood that training was our ticket to freedom and success. With out her, I wouldn’t have developed the monetary and financial abilities that helped me construct a secure future.”
Martin was a scholar in Clifton’s residence economics class at Powell Level Faculty in Kendleton, TX. On the time, the college expanded to supply house for college kids to learn to cook dinner and stitch. Her courses served as a basis to supply Black youth with the life abilities wanted to thrive.
Former Kendleton mayor Carolyn Taylor Jones (Class of ‘55), one other former scholar of Clifton, stated that at 86 years previous, she nonetheless applies all of the morals and values that had been taught to her throughout that point. The category taught her learn how to be financially impartial and savvy.
“I’ve executed very well in my life, and it’s due to her,” stated Jones. “I realized to stitch from her teachings, and by studying… it has helped me financially. Issues that I must spend cash to purchase, she taught me learn how to do it myself.”
Clifton firmly believed that studying was the muse of all studying. Her daughter remembers how she would emphasize literacy at college and lengthen that keenness into their residence. “Studying was an enormous deal,” Austin stated. “She careworn that for those who can learn, you may work out something. She would take not solely my brothers and me but in addition our neighbors to the library, encouraging all of us to discover books and develop our information.”
Past the classroom, Clifton devoted herself to group service. She was a driving pressure behind her neighborhood’s civic membership, rising from an lively member to president. Whether or not organizing fundraisers to construct a brand new group fence or addressing neighbors’ issues, she grew to become the go-to particular person for options.
“If she didn’t know the reply, she knew precisely who to ask,” Austin stated. “She discovered learn how to get issues executed, whether or not it was by means of cooking rooster dinners to lift cash or strolling into Dwelling Depot and studying learn how to construct a fence herself. She was a resourceful chief in each sense of the phrase.”
Her civic engagement prolonged far past infrastructure. Clifton was enthusiastic about guiding younger folks, encouraging them to take training significantly and construct sustainable futures. At a time when social media and immediate gratification typically divert younger minds from long-term success, she remained steadfast in her message: training and persistence open doorways.
Phrases of knowledge
When requested about life classes she would share with younger folks immediately, Clifton simplified it to a few phrases: Obedience, Religion and Self-Care.
“Be obedient, first to God, then to your dad and mom and any adults. Obey, be obedient and your God will bless you. Steer clear of medication. For those who get sick, see a health care provider, however don’t rely on medication to make you are feeling good.”
She shared the keys to dwelling an extended life: “Belief in God. Eat proper, obey your dad and mom, and comply with directions. Rely in your dad and mom and the medical doctors. Put together your self. Be deserving. Some issues you are able to do your self, however together with your dad and mom’ directions, you may make life higher. Search greater training, however recommendation out of your dad and mom will get you there too.”
