Over 50 years ago, Stephens, as a 20-year-old college student, led sit-ins in Tallahassee. Arrested at the Woolworth lunch counter during a sit-in, students spent 49 days in jail rather than pay fines. It was one of the first "jail-ins" of the Movement.
A telegram from Rev. Martin Luther King said,"Going to jail for a righteous
cause is a badge of honor and a symbol of dignity. I assure
you that your valiant witness is one of the glowing epics of our time
and you are bringing all of America (to) the threshold of the world's
bright tomorrows."
Stephens was a founding member of the Tallahassee chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). She led marches and rallies through out the state, leading to her suspension from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) for her activism. She ultimately earned her degree in 1965. She pressed forward and served as a freedom fighter for five decades.
