Some know Clarice Freeman as the widow of the late Dr. Thomas Freeman, the legendary founder and coach of the Texas Southern University Debate Team.
But truth be told, Clarice has been her own person for all of her 104 years. She turns 105 on Aug. 14.
Clarice, an active member of SHAPE’s Elders Institute of Wisdom and historical advisor of the Houston Symphony’s African American Leadership Council, shared with the Defender the advice she has received on various topics over the century.
Finding the right partner
Born in Mattoon, Illinois, on Aug. 14, 1920, Clarice said she spent her young years trying to get out of Mattoon, and she did, eventually living in Chicago. Before that, she was the only Black student at Eastern Illinois State Teachers College from 1942 to 1945. A few years later, Clarice married her friend for over a decade, Thomas, a preacher and professor she first crossed paths with in the Windy City.
“I didn’t realize he had been chasing me for 10 years,” said Clarice of Thomas. “I thought we were just good friends.”
When asked for advice on finding the right partner, she said, “Find someone with good conversation” and a “persuasive speaker. ” Then she laughed, knowing she was directly referencing her late husband.
Being unapologetically you
Over the years, Clarice learned multiple foreign languages, mastered multiple instruments and engaged in world travel at a time when most Black people in America were confined to their segregated corners of the world by Jim Crow.
Nothing about Clarice’s life or upbringing was stereotypically Black.
“I grew up white,” Clarice said, referring to being exposed almost solely to white people and white “culture” in 1920s and 30s Mattoon. Clarice said racial incidents, like being called “the N-word” were rare in her experience. But when the five children of a poor white family regularly harassed her and her siblings on the way to the grocery store, Clarice heeded the words of the Black children she saw once a week at church.
“So, the next time they called us ni@@ers, I said, ‘Well, I’d rather be a ni@@er than poor white trash.’ And that shut them up for good,” she recalled.
Clarice’s upbringing put her at odds with some of the students and several of her professor peers when she taught music at Wilberforce University in Ohio. But she never apologized for her upbringing or life experiences.
“I was raised to be authentically me, and taught my students to do the same. That’s really the best way to live,” said Clarice, who has spent a life advocating for Black people and issues, whether protesting injustices as a member of CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) or fighting for educational equity in schools.
Living a full life
When asked for advice on living a long life, Clarice opened and read from the book by Oprah Winfrey that featured an article on Clarice.
“Here’s what I said: ‘My advice is to develop a strong spiritual life, choose your friends wisely—and love, just love,’” said Clarice.
Clarice has lived a full life, impacting individuals near and far.
“Clarice was a voice instructor for Leontyne Price while Clarice was a faculty member at Wilberforce University,” said James H. Ford Jr., visiting professor at Texas Southern University. “Clarice additionally directed the Houston Boys Choir and mentored singers/musicians Jimmy Harrison and Vivian Thompson…. She also helped others while teaching in the Houston Independent School District.”
Dr. Juan Crawford, who heads the Houston Symphony’s African American Leadership Council, concurs.
“Mrs. Clarice Freeman’s journey into the music world is a reflection of her resilience, dedication and unwavering belief in the power of music to bridge divides and bring people together.”
Sharing advice for others who seek to live such a life, Clarice’s words focused on treating oneself and others well.
“I could never understand individuals who hate people who are different,” she said. “I do not judge people. I don’t know how to judge people. I interact with people because I know each one of us has a spark of the divine in us. We’re all family.”
Count Houston legend Deloyd Parker as another person awed by Clarice’s presence and impact.
“Elder Freeman represents the highest level of eldership that there is,” said Parker, executive director of SHAPE. “She is the epitome of who and what an elder is.”
For Clarice, living a full life involves developing oneself intellectually to the best of one’s ability.
“As far back as I can remember, there was a statement that my father said over and over and over again: ‘Now, I want you kids to go to school. And I want you to get this good education so you can take care of yourselves,’” Clarice recalled. “And that’s what we did.”
Diet
Clarice is also a stickler for eating healthy, a habit she developed as a child of a mother (Ada Estell) who grew most of what Clarice, her father (Harry Estell) and siblings ate.
She readily shares advice on habits, dietary and otherwise, that can help or hurt a person’s well-being.
“My body was being nurtured by all of these things we now call the Mediterranean diet,” shared Clarice. “There are other things that we include with our Mediterranean Diet that sort of cancel out so much of the nourishment that we were getting, by smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages and things like that.”
Men’s health
Clarice’s husband passed away on June 6, 2020, just three weeks shy of his 101st birthday. But while fondly reflecting on what would have been their 72nd wedding anniversary, Clarice’s tone changed dramatically.
“And he could have been here if he had taken care of himself,” she charged. “And that’s what I say to men. Take care of yourselves.”
