Jo Ann Allen Boyce, a member of the Clinton 12, has died at 84, the Green McAdoo Cultural Center announced. As reported by WVLT, she and 11 Black classmates helped desegregate Clinton High School in Clinton, Tennessee after the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision.
Boyce was remembered for her generosity and kindness. "We've lost such a caring and humble soul," the Green McAdoo Cultural Center said in a statement obtained by Knox News. Her legacy includes her role in integrating schools and the impact she had on people across the country, including students who met her.
Boyce attended the segregated Clinton High School, where she faced intense hate and bigotry that led to the National Guard being called and the school being bombed in 1958. She wrote, "The hate we, as a group, faced daily when walking to school, while climbing the stairs to enter and on a too frequent basis in the school’s hallways, is much to much to address in this document," as mentioned by WATE. Adam Velk, director of the Green McAdoo Cultural Center, said, "She was one of the kindest people I have ever met," as per Knox News. After leaving Clinton High, Boyce moved to California, completed her education, and worked as a nurse. Her story was featured by her grandson, Disney Channel star Cameron Boyce, in a 2016 short-film series about the Clinton 12.
