Cameron Boyce’s Grandmother, a Civil Rights Hero of the Clinton 12, Passes Away at 84

Cameron Boyce (left) and Jo Ann Allen Boyce (right).
Credit:

Billy Hicks/Disney XD via Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Jo Ann Allen Boyce has died from pancreatic cancer at age 84.
• The civil rights trailblazer was a member of the “Clinton 12” and was Cameron Boyce’s grandmother.
• “My Nana stuck up for what she believed in and did something amazing,” the late Disney star, who died after suffering a seizure in 2021, previously told PEOPLE.

Jo Ann Allen Boyce, a pivotal figure in civil rights history and grandmother of the late actor Cameron Boyce, passed away on December 3 at age 84. She succumbed to pancreatic cancer surrounded by family at her home in California, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

A prominent member of the “Clinton 12,” Jo Ann was one of the first African American students to attend Clinton High School in Tennessee, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 ruling in Brown v. Board of Education that mandated school desegregation.

Jo Ann Allen Boyce.

Green McAdoo Cultural Center/Facebook

Life-size sculptures of Jo Ann and her fellow students now stand at the Green McAdoo Cultural Center in Clinton, Tennessee, honoring their bravery in facing severe backlash during their integration into the school.

The Center issued a heartfelt tribute, stating, “We’ve lost such a caring and humble soul. The people who met her were in awe and entirely grateful for her kindness. A student was so inspired by her story that they wept when they met her, and Jo Ann was quick to offer them a warm hug.”

In a reflection of her influence, the statement added, “Jo Ann inspired everyone she met.” Her legacy continues to resonate, especially within the Boyce family.

In January 2021, Cameron Boyce, who passed away later that year, expressed the impact of his grandmother’s story. “My Nana stuck up for what she believed in and did something amazing,” he shared. “Things are going to happen in your life, and you’re going to face adversity, but if you grow from that and learn from that, you’re a better person because of it.”

Jo Ann’s journey was marked by significant challenges; escalating violence in Tennessee led her family to relocate to Los Angeles in 1957. At that time, her father, Herbert Allen, noted, “We’re not leaving here with hatred in our hearts against anyone.”

Only two members of the Clinton 12 graduated from Clinton High School, highlighting the struggles they faced.

Jo Ann’s experiences were featured in the Disney XD and Disney Channel short film series Be Inspired. Reflecting on a return to Clinton High School years later, she said, “It was overwhelming. It was emotional. I could go back and remember the days that my friends and I walked down that hill together.”

Cameron Boyce and Jo Ann Allen Boyce with others in ‘Be Inspired.’

Billy Hicks/Disney XD via Getty

As Jo Ann reflected on her impact, she remarked, “All of us, all of our parents, every single student that walked down the hill with me, all of our parents wanted us to do better. They wanted us to have better opportunities, so therefore education was number one for them. They told us, ‘It may be difficult, but you guys go ahead. We are with you.’ “

Cameron Boyce, in a poignant interview shortly before his passing, credited his grandmother’s legacy as inspiration for his own philanthropic efforts, stating, “There’s a long line of difference-makers in my family. I’m following in the footsteps of some really strong men and women who have showed me what it means to give back; it’s the greatest way to fulfill yourself.”