FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
January 28, 2014 Julian Teixeira
(202) 776-1812
jteixeira@nclr.org
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today NCLR (National Council of La Raza) was saddened to learn of the passing of Adelfa Callejo this past Saturday at the age of 90 after a long battle with brain cancer.
Known as “La Madrina” (The Godmother) of the Hispanic community in Dallas, Adelfa Callejo had a storied career, beginning as the first Latina to graduate from Southern Methodist University law school. When she was unable to find work as a lawyer due to her ethnicity, she opened her own firm along with her husband, Bill Callejo. Thanks to the firm’s immense success, the Callejos were able to become fierce, independent, uncompromising advocates for the civil rights of Hispanics in Dallas and the state of Texas. She is one of only 12 lawyers to be named as a “Texas Legal Legend” by the State Bar of Texas.
“Not only was Adelfa Callejo a pioneer and a mentor to countless Hispanic attorneys through the years, she was also a formidable presence who was still fighting for and marching on behalf of her community until the day she died. She was a champion for improving the education of Hispanic students and fighting anti-immigrant policies such as the Farmers Branch ordinance. It was our privilege to honor her and her beloved husband, Bill, with the Graciela Olivarez La Raza Award in 2005. Our heartfelt condolences go to her family and Dallas’s Hispanic community. She will be much missed,” stated Janet Murguía, President and CEO, NCLR.
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
###