While attending FAMU, Joyner was twice arrested for her role in the civil rights movement for her protests in support of movie theater desegregation.

[1] In 1995, Joyner was appointed by then-President Bill Clinton to serve as the American representative at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing.

[1] She was criticized by Chiles for billing twenty five thousand dollars to the Authority for airline tickets to attend meetings that did not directly relate to aviation issues.

In 2006, Les Miller, whom Joyner had succeeded in the State House, opted to run for Congress in 2006 rather than seeking another term in the Florida Senate.

Joyner ran to succeed him in the 18th District, which included parts of Apollo Beach, Bradenton, St. Petersburg, and Tampa in Hillsborough, Manatee, and Pinellas Counties.

The Times, which noted her "mixed" record and criticized her for being "missing in action," praised her for having "her priorities straight" and for being "a strong supporter of civil rights, health care, and open government.

After the incident, Joyner expressed sadness that someone could "spew such hatred and venom at another human being in the twenty-first century," and called for an ongoing national discussion on racial issues.

While in the legislature, Joyner worked with State Representative Larry Ahern, a Republican, to author legislation that would make prosecuting identity theft easier by eliminating a legal requirement that the stolen personal information be used fraudulently.

"[13] During the confirmation process for Public Service Commissioner Lisa Edgar, Joyner lead a bipartisan coalition of Senators to support her in her nomination for a third term, praising her for having "a reputation for character and integrity," and rejecting claims made by the opposition that she was too friendly with utility companies.