NABJ Salutes Member and News Icon Belva Davis on her Retirement
Sunday, February 26, 2012
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Posted by: Aprill Turner
Washington, DC (February 26, 2012) – The National
Association of Black Journalists salutes member, Belva Davis, a trailblazing
Bay-area journalist who was the first black female TV journalist on the West
Coast and has been in broadcast journalism for almost half a century. Davis
announced her retirement last week as the host of a public affairs program,
"This Week in Northern California," on KQED, a job she has held for
19 years. Her final broadcast is set for Nov. 9, according to a news release
issued by the station.
Over her career, Davis has reported on some of the most prominent stories of her
time, including the UC Berkeley Free Speech Movement, the birth of the Black
Panthers, the Peoples Temple cult that ended in the mass suicides at Jonestown,
the assassinations of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey
Milk, the onset of the AIDS epidemic, and the terrorist attacks on the U.S.
Embassy in Tanzania that first put Osama bin Laden on the FBI's Most Wanted
List.
"NABJ wishes Mrs. Davis an enjoyable retirement. She has
given so much throughout her groundbreaking journalism career which made her
the first black woman T.V. correspondent in the West,” said NABJ President Greg
Lee, Jr. "We thank her for being a true role model who paved the way for
generations of journalists whose careers would not have been possible without
her courage and sacrifices.” Davis will lead KQED's coverage of the 2012 local
and national elections before departing. KQED plans to celebrate her career
throughout the year, according to the station.
"I
have enjoyed a unique and long career here in the Bay Area and have been
witness to some of the most explosive stories of the last half century. I'm
truly thankful for the support of everyone at KQED and the loyalty of our
audiences throughout my time on the air," said Davis. "I began my
career with the coverage of the 1964 elections, and I'm thrilled that I will be
devoting my last months on the air to the elections of 2012."
Before
arriving at KQED, Davis anchored news programs on Bay Area stations KPIX-TV and
KRON-TV. She recently published her memoir, "Never in My Wildest Dreams: A
Black Woman's Life in Journalism." Davis has received numerous awards for
her journalism, including eight local Emmys. In 2008 NABJ inducted her into
their Hall of Fame, the organizations highest honor.
Material from the Contra Costa Times was
used to compile this report.
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