Jo Ann Allen Boyce, born Sept. 15, 1941, in Clinton, TN, was among the 12 African-American teenagers who, in August 1956, made history by entering Clinton High School after the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling.
At 14, Boyce and her peers braved jeering crowds, threats, and hostile backlash from white residents as they walked to what had been an all-white school. She later recalled being anxious about how she would be received and noted the mixed reactions from classmates, some neutral and others openly hostile. Students hurled insults and objects; her classmates called her to “get out,” shoved her in hallways and threw chalk at her.
While inside the school some students were kind, many were influenced by outside animosity and retreated. One teacher, Mrs. Anderson, stood out for her support. After four months, fearing for her safety amid escalating violence, including threats and police intervention, her family moved to Los Angeles in December 1956.
In Los Angeles, Boyce pursued her dream of becoming a pediatric nurse, a profession she practiced for three decades. She also performed jazz at clubs such as the Cinegrill and wrote poetry.
Her legacy has also been honored in the Green McAdoo Cultural Center in Clinton, where life-size statues commemorate the “Clinton 12.” Her grandson, actor Cameron Boyce, helped bring her story to wider recognition through a Disney Channel/B-Inspired short film featuring her experience.
Now retired, Boyce lives in Los Angeles. Her reflections underscore the personal cost of the fight for equality, and the importance of courage, resilience and education in advancing civil rights.
