Jo Ann Brown Popular Books
Jo Ann Brown Biography & Facts
Jo Ann Gibson Robinson (April 17, 1912 – August 29, 1992) was an activist during the Civil Rights Movement and educator in Montgomery, Alabama. Early life Born Jo Ann Gibson, near Culloden, Georgia, on April 17, 1912, she was the youngest of twelve children. Her parents were Owen Boston and Dollie Webb Gibson, who had owned a farm. Her father died when Robinson was only 6 years old. After her father's death, Robinson, her mother, and her eleven other siblings moved to Macon, Georgia. Robinson excelled in school and earned valedictorian at her high school in her graduating year. She became the first person in her family to graduate from college, attending Fort Valley State College. Career and college Robinson graduated from Fort Valley State College with her Bachelor's degree in 1934. After college, she became a public school teacher in Macon, where she was married to Wilbur Robinson for a short time. Five years later, she went to Atlanta, where she earned an M.A. in English at Atlanta University. Robinson continued her education even after earning her Masters at New York's Columbia University, and continued to study English. Shortly after, she went to teach at Mary Allen College. After teaching in Texas, she then accepted a position at Alabama State College (now Alabama State University) in Montgomery. She was also active in the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. Women's Political Council (WPC) : 9 It was in Montgomery, Alabama, where Robinson joined the Women's Political Council, which Mary Fair Burks had founded three years earlier. The WPC was an organization dedicated to inspiring African Americans to rise above the level of mediocrity that they had been conditioned to accept, to fight juvenile delinquency, increase voter registration in the African American community, and to improve their status as a group. The WPC was also in the development in women's involvement in civic affairs, worked towards encouraging African Americans to vote, and helping women who were victims of rape. Segregation on Montgomery buses In 1949, Robinson was verbally attacked by a bus driver for sitting in the front "Whites only" section of the bus. The whites-only section was empty except for one person 2 rows in front of her. Out of fear that the incident would escalate and that the driver would go from verbal abuse to physical, Robinson chose to leave the bus. Her response to the incident was to attempt to start a protest boycott against bus segregation in Alabama. However, when Robinson approached fellow WPC members with her story and proposal, she was told that it was "a fact of life in Montgomery." In late 1950, she succeeded Burks as president of the WPC and helped focus the group's efforts on buses, becoming an outspoken critic of the treatment of African Americans on public transportation. To further her efforts, Robinson met with William A. Gayle, the mayor of Montgomery at the time. Robinson met with City Hall's council, but they were not interested in what she had to say. When City Hall's leaders were no help, Robinson took matters into her own hands and organized a boycott once again. The WPC made complaints to the Montgomery City Commission about the bus seating and abusive drivers. They achieved some concessions, including an undertaking that drivers would be courteous, and having buses stop at every corner in Black neighborhoods as they did in white areas.: 12 After Brown vs. Board of Education (1954), Robinson informed the mayor of the city that a boycott would soon rise. After Rosa Parks' arrest, they seized the moment to plan the Montgomery bus boycott. On Thursday, December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to move from her seat in the black area of the bus she was traveling on to make way for a white passenger who was standing.: 27 Parks, a civil rights organizer, had intended to instigate a reaction from white citizens and authorities. That night, with Parks' permission, Robinson stayed up mimeographing 35,000 handbills calling for a boycott of the Montgomery bus system, with the help of the chairman of the Alabama State College business department, John Cannon, and two students.: 34 The boycott was supported and fought by many. In a 1976 interview, Robinson pointed out, "That boycott was not supported by a few people; it was supported by 52,000 people". The boycott was initially planned for just the following Monday. Robinson passed out the leaflets at a Friday afternoon meeting of AME Zionist clergy, among other places, and Reverend L. Roy Bennett requested other ministers attend a meeting that Friday night and to urge their congregations to take part in the boycott. Robinson, Reverend Ralph Abernathy, two of her senior students and other WPC members then passed out the handbills to high school students leaving school that afternoon.: 34 After the success of the one-day boycott, Black citizens decided to continue the boycott and established the Montgomery Improvement Association to focus their efforts. The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was elected president. Robinson never became a member of this group. She had declined an official position to the Montgomery Improvement Association because of her teaching position at Alabama State. She served on its executive board and edited their newsletter, at King's request. Behind the scenes, Robinson also helped in carpooling African Americans to work. She was so involved King took notice in his memoir of the boycott, Stride Towards Freedom. Dr. King said of Robinson, "Apparently indefatigable, she, perhaps more than any other person, was active on every level of protest". In order to protect her position at Alabama State College, and to protect her colleagues, Robinson purposely stayed out of the limelight, even though she worked diligently with the MIA. Robinson and other WPC members also helped sustain the boycott by providing transportation for boycotters. Robinson was the target of several acts of intimidation. Robinson was arrested many times. In February 1956, a local police officer threw a stone through the window of her house. Then two weeks later, another police officer poured acid on her car. The violence was so bad that the governor of Alabama ordered the state police to guard the houses of the boycott leaders. The boycott lasted over a year because the bus company would not give in to the demands of the protesters. On December 20, 1956, the boycotts finally ended after the federal district court deemed segregated seating was unconstitutional. However, Robinson fought hard and took great pride in the eventual success of the boycott. In her memoir, Robinson wrote, "An oppressed but brave people, whose pride and dignity rose to the occasion, conquered fear, and faced whatever perils had to be confronted. The boycott was the most beautiful memory that all of us who participated will carry to our final resting place." The Montgomery bus boycott broke through and gave real hope as it helped t.... Discover the Jo Ann Brown popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Jo Ann Brown books.
Best Seller Jo Ann Brown Books of 2024
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Wycliffe and the Scapegoat
W.J. BurleyAn ancient legend, an alltoo modern murder, and Chief Superintendent Wycliffe must find the link between them ...Every year, at Halloween, high on the Cornish cliffs, a lifesized e...
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Wycliffe and the House of Fear
W.J. BurleyA troubling disappearance. A puzzling mystery. A new investigation for Detective Wycliffe.Detective Superintendent Wycliffe is holidaying in Cornwall when he meets the intriguing K...
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Lost or Found
Graham IsonA wedding ring, a missing woman, a bizarre disappearance...Brock and Poole have one of their most unusual cases to unravel'Devilishly engaging characters and authentic details of p...
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An Amish Holiday Wedding
Carrie LighteA business arrangement…or a Christmas proposal?Anything’s possible with Amish Country CourtshipsOn the brink of losing her bakery, the last thing Faith Yoder’s interested in is cou...
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Happy Days
Graham Hurley'There is no one writing better police procedurals today.' Daily TelegraphA war which throws the police into the front line: the reckoning awaits.D/I Faraday is gone and the police...
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The Price of Darkness
Graham HurleyGraham Hurley's acclaimed crime series takes a step into the dark side as DC Winter wonders whether crime might pay...From the author of LAST FLIGHT TO STALINGRAD.DC Winter, sacked...
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Found Her
NJ MackayThe most gripping, emotional and redemptive psychological thriller of 2021 for fans of Erin Kinsley, Lisa Jewell, Louise Jensen, Phoebe Morgan, CL Taylor, Cara Hunter and KL Slate...
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Wycliffe And The Guild Of Nine
W.J. BurleyA murder at an artists' colony but not everyone wants Chief Superintendent Wycliffe to investigate . . .The artists' colony is at the site of a disused mine working on the moor we...
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The Amish Christmas Cowboy
Jo Ann BrownA cowboy for Christmas…or another year in the Amish Spinster Club?Nanny Sarah Kuhns has her hands full with kinder, her overbearing brothers and her big dreams. And it only gets wo...
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Buzz Riff
HillFigure'Fast, funny and popping with surprises' Robert CraisTop Keirnan has got problems. The research firm he's been running out of his 30sera schoolhouse in Athens, Georgia, is beginni...
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Wycliffe and the School Bullies
W.J. BurleyBullying and persecution among a group of schoolgirls leads to violent retribution and a race against time for Wycliffe.Two very different young women have been murdered within the...
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No Lovelier Death
Graham Hurley'There is no one writing better police procedurals today.' Daily TelegraphTwo murdered teenagers. Both sides of the law are looking for the killer.But who will get there first?A te...
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The Dutiful Daughter
Jo Ann BrownShe Must Marry for Duty Sophia Meriweather willif all goes as it shouldmarry the heir to her father's estate. If she's to secure her family's future, Sophia must put her would...
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Wycliffe and Death in Stanley Street
W.J. BurleyA young girl is found dead in a house on Stanley Street... but it's just the start of a complex puzzle which Wycliffe must unravel.A dubious culdesac just off the busy main road in...
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Denial
Peter JamesIntroducing policeman Glenn Branson...When actress Gloria Lamark takes her own life, her devoted son, Thomas, is heartbroken. Something must be wrong with a world in which such a t...
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A Hero for Christmas
Jo Ann BrownTo Heal the Soldier's Heart Jonathon Bradby would gladly return to fighting the French if it meant avoiding his new title: war hero. Only he knows the reputation isn't deserve...
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Western Approaches
Graham HurleyA body. A policeman. Over the edge...The launch of a stunning crime series from the author of LAST FLIGHT TO STALINGRADNo one liked Jake Kinsey. A rich man, he turned up out of now...
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Wycliffe and the Beales
W.J. BurleyA mysterious death ... an eccentric family living on the edge of Dartmoor ... And Chief Superintendent Wycliffe has one of his most complex cases to date.The Cornish Detective seri...
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The Amish Christmas Cowboy and An Amish Holiday Wedding
Jo Ann Brown & Carrie LighteChristmas Heals Hearts in Amish CountryThe Amish Christmas Cowboy by Jo Ann BrownNanny Sarah Kuhns has her hands full with kinder, her overbearing brothers and her big dreams. And ...
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Wycliffe And The Last Rites
W.J. BurleyThe Cornish Detective seriesA puzzling murder mystery. A tough new case for Detective Wycliffe to investigate.'You can always count on Wycliffe' FINANCIAL TIMES'GRIPPING' THE TIME...
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The Wrong Child
Barry GornellHow far would you go to protect your child?When tragedy strikes in a small Scottish village, everyone in the community is affected.Most people believe one child is to blame for wha...
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Wycliffe and the Cycle of Death
W.J. BurleyA respectable bookseller is found bludgeoned and strangled and it's up to Chief Superintendent Wycliffe to find out why . . .When Matthew Glynn is murdered, Wycliffe is mystified. ...
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Wycliffe and the Quiet Virgin
W.J. BurleyWycliffe investigates the disappearance of a young girl and becomes involved in a major criminal investigation . . .Chief Superintendent Wycliffe doubted whether he would enjoy hi...
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Promise of a Family
Jo Ann BrownFamily in Training? After rescuing six children abandoned in a boat, Captain Drake Nesbitt is determined to ensure their safety and locate their unknown parents. But first, he...
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Harlequin Love Inspired October 2018 - Box Set 2 of 2
Carrie Lighte, Tina Radcliffe & Lorraine BeattyLove Inspired brings you three new titles! Enjoy these uplifting contemporary romances of faith, forgiveness and hope. AN AMISH HOLIDAY WEDDINGAmish Country Courtshipsby Carrie Lig...
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The Girls Inside
NJ MackayA gripping, compelling psychological thriller about a cult, a fire, and the dark secrets that four young girls have carried with them but can no longer keep buried...Blue grew up i...
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Wycliffe and How to Kill A Cat
W.J. BurleyAnother classic crime novel featuring Cornwall's Superintendent Wycliffe.The girl was young, with auburn hair arranged on the pillow. Wycliffe could almost believe she was asleep ...
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Wycliffe and the Winsor Blue
W.J. BurleyA mysterious death in the Cornish art world and a murder investigation for Chief Superintendent Wycliffe...When Edwin Garland dies of a heart attack, no one outside the expectant ...
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A Bride for the Baron
Jo Ann BrownA Man Beyond Her Reach Vera Fenwick is everything a vicar's sister should behelpful, modest and sensible. She knows the perils of falling for a man above her station, but it d...
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Wycliffe and the Pea Green Boat
W.J. BurleyWycliffe tackles a case which reaches back down the generations ...When Cedric Tremain is charged with murdering his father by boobytrapping his fishing boat, all the locals are ag...
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Wycliffe and the Three Toed Pussy
W.J. BurleyA case involving a dead woman with a deformed foot and a mysterious past requires all Superintendent Wycliffe's investigative skills.The peace of the village of Kergwyns in Cornwal...
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Wycliffe And The Redhead
W.J. BurleyThe Cornish Detective seriesThe discovery of a body in a quarry creates a baffling case for Detective Superintendent Wycliffe'Firstclass, oldtime, hyperingenious whodunit' OBSERVER...
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Sins of the Father
Graham HurleyDS Jimmy Suttle investigates a murder in a house haunted by the past in the latest from 'one of the UK's finest crime novelists' (INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY), author of LAST FLIGHT TO S...
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Wycliffe and the Four Jacks
W.J. BurleyA murder committed in the night of dead. It's all a game for Detective Wycliffe to solve in a puzzling case.Writer David Cleeve lived exactly the way a bestselling novelist should ...
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Wycliffe and the Dead Flautist
W.J. BurleyClassic crime featuring the everpopular Chief Superintendent Wycliffe 'Another must for collectors' Sunday Times.On the peaceful and secluded estate of Lord and Lady Bottrell, th...
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Harlequin Love Inspired October 2018 - Box Set 1 of 2
Jo Ann Brown, Arlene James & Jill KemererLove Inspired brings you three new titles! Enjoy these uplifting contemporary romances of faith, forgiveness and hope. THE AMISH CHRISTMAS COWBOYAmish Spinster Clubby Jo Ann BrownT...