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Jo Ann Boyce, Clinton 12 Member and Civil Rights Trailblazer, Dies
Jo Ann Boyce, a member of the Clinton 12 – the first twelve African American students to integrate Clinton High School in Tennessee – has died. she was a pioneering figure in the Civil Rights Movement who dedicated her life to advocating for equality and understanding.
In 1957, at the age of 14, Boyce and eleven other students faced intense opposition as they sought to attend the previously segregated Clinton High School following the landmark Brown v. board of Education Supreme Court decision. before leaving Clinton, Tennessee, for Los Angeles, the family faced local journalists. Her father, Herbert Allen, stated, “We’re not leaving here with hatred in our hearts against anyone… Even those who are against us… we realize that those people are just misled. They were trained and brought up that way.”
The transition was profoundly tough. “The previous five months had been the moast painful of her life,” recalled friend Martha Young. Boyce herself felt ”cheated,” wanting to remain in Clinton to prove her capabilities despite the hostility. “She was always of the mind that love will conquer all. That’s what guided her through the rest of her life,” Young added.
Shortly after the integration began, Clinton High School was severely damaged by a bombing in 1958, and no arrests were ever made. Ultimately, only two of the Clinton 12 graduated from the school.
The Allen family relocated to california, where Boyce attended and graduated from Dorsey High School in Baldwin Hills in 1958. She continued her education at Los Angeles City College and then pursued nursing, becoming a pediatric nurse and dedicating decades to the profession.
Beyond her medical career, Boyce pursued her passion for music, forming the vocal trio “The Debs” with her sister Mamie and cousin Sandra. They briefly performed backup vocals for Sam Cooke and later showcased jazz performances across Los Angeles, including at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel.
In 1959,she met Victor Boyce at a dance,and they married,remaining together for 64 years. they raised three children – Kamlyn Young, London Boyce, and Victor Boyce – and generations of extended family, including actor Cameron Boyce, who passed away in 2019. Boyce was affectionately known as “Nana” by her grandchildren.
Throughout her life,Boyce faced meaningful health challenges,including breast cancer,a stroke,and pancreatic cancer,yet maintained a remarkable optimism. “She would come in and just light up the room,” said her daughter-in-law, libby Boyce. “She had a sparkle like nobody’s business.” Remarkably, she lived with pancreatic cancer for 12 years, amazing her doctors.
In her later years, Boyce actively worked to raise awareness about the story of the Clinton 12, which she felt was less known than the experiences of the Little Rock Nine or Ruby Bridges. As she stated in a 2023 interview with CBS Los Angeles, “what my mother said, we did.” She co-authored the book This Promise of Change in 2019 with Debbie Levy and collaborated with the Green McAdoo Cultural Center,located in her former elementary school,to promote equality and understanding.
Her family remembers her unwavering belief in the power of love. “She used to say that racism is a disease of the heart,” said her granddaughter, Kamlyn Boyce. “She moved toward them, not away. Even the people with hate in their heart,she loved. It’s the only way I can put it.”
Jo Ann boyce is survived by her three children, her sister Mamie, three grandchildren, and countless others who cherished her as “nana.”
