[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5267]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 SENATOR ARTHENIA L. JOYNER, TAMPA BAY'S WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH HONOREE

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. KATHY CASTOR

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 3, 2017

  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
accomplishments of a true champion of progress, Senator Arthenia L. 
Joyner. Today, I recognize her as my Tampa Bay's Women's History Month 
honoree. Her invaluable contributions to Hillsborough County and the 
lives of our neighbors are an inspiration to us all. Today, on behalf 
of my neighbors, I recognize her selfless dedication, honor her 
valuable unceasing work, and thank her for her love of her and my home 
town.
  Senator Arthenia Joyner was born in Lakeland, Florida on February 3, 
1943 and later relocated with her family to Tampa in the late 1940s. 
Growing up during the time of segregation, Senator Joyner and her 
family have always played an active role on issues concerning civil 
rights. Henry Joyner, Moses White and Kid Mason, to name a few, were at 
the heart of Tampa's once thriving black business community on Central 
Avenue. Senator Joyner has been key in preserving and honoring the 
history of Central Avenue, once populated by black-owned businesses, 
restaurants and night clubs.
  Senator Joyner earned her B.S. from Florida A&M University in 1964 
and her J.D. from Florida A&M University College of Law in 1968. Facing 
segregation and discrimination, she has always been out front. She 
participated in the first civil rights demonstrations in Tampa and was 
arrested twice while attending Florida A&M University when 
participating in efforts to desegregate movie theaters. Senator Joyner 
again ``found a way to get in the way'', in the words of my colleague 
Representative John Lewis, when she was arrested outside the South 
Africa embassy in D.C. for protesting against South Africa's apartheid 
government.
  After law school, unable to find anyone in the legal profession 
willing to hire an African-American woman, she opened her own practice 
becoming the first African-American female lawyer in Hillsborough 
County and has practiced law there for forty-seven years, longer than 
any black woman in the history of Florida. Senator Arthenia Joyner 
served as an attorney, public school teacher and legal assistant for 
former State Representative, Joe Lang Kershaw. She was elected to the 
Florida House of Representatives in 2000 where she served three terms. 
In 2006 Senator Joyner was then elected to represent District 19 in the 
Florida Senate for two terms. She was appointed by her Senate peers to 
serve as the Florida Senate Democratic Leader for the 2014 to 2016 
term, making her the first African-American woman to hold the position.
  Throughout her legislative service, Senator Joyner has been 
recognized as a stalwart supporter of a wide variety of issues centered 
on human rights, civil rights, criminal and civil justice reform, 
health policies, and consumer protection. Her knowledge, passion and 
leadership made her a trusted public servant who knew how to get things 
done for her state and her neighbors. Senator Joyner currently serves 
as the National Vice President of the National Organization of Black 
Elected Legislative Women (NOBEL/Women) and the State Director for 
Women in Government. Recently she was appointed to represent the 
Florida Senate on the Criminal Justice Committee of the National 
Conference of State Legislatures. And, most recently Senator Joyner was 
chosen for the important role serving on the Constitutional Revision 
Commission by Chief Justice Jorge Labarga.
  The Tampa Bay Times has praised Senator Joyner for being ``a strong 
supporter of civil rights, health care, and open government.'' In 2014, 
Senator Arthenia Joyner was awarded the L. Clayton Nance Award 
presented annually by the Florida Public Defender Association (FPDA) to 
those advancing the organization's mission of ensuring equal justice. 
The FPDA also recognized her legislative work and support of juvenile 
sentencing reform bill, HB 7035. Representative Laura Hall (AL), 
National President for NOBEL Women, stated that Senator Joyner doesn't 
only advocate for the state of Florida, but ``she fights for the civil 
rights of others across this nation.''
  Senator Joyner has served her community and state but her service has 
also had global reach. It has been said that among her most prestigious 
awards are appointments by President Clinton to the U.S. Delegation to 
the Population Conference in Cairo, Egypt and the U.S. Delegation to 
the United Nations 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing, China.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the citizens of our Tampa Bay community, I 
am proud to honor my friend Senator Arthenia Joyner as my Tampa Bay's 
Women's History Month honoree. As Senator Joyner would say, ``your word 
is your bond,'' as she encourages our community to stand for what they 
believe in. Following in the footsteps of her distinguished family and 
leaving big footprints of her own for all of us to follow, her courage 
and total commitment to human rights and improving the lives of all of 
us have helped not only the Tampa community, but our state, nation and 
the world.

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