Her father worked as a chef for the Southern Pacific Railroad and her mother was a devout Seventh - day Adventist .
Joyce Bryant , the oldest of eight children , was born in Oakland , California , and raised in San Francisco .
Joyce Bryant 's father worked as a chef for the Southern Pacific Railroad and her mother was a devout Seventh - day Adventist .
Joyce Bryant , the oldest of eight children , was born in Oakland , California , and raised in San Francisco .