Honorary Member Inducted into Black Journalists' Hall of Fame

Belva Davis hailed as trailblazer

Honorary member and broadcast journalist Belva Davis was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists' (NABJ) Hall of Fame during the 2008 UNITY: Journalists of Color Convention in Chicago.

Belva Davis

Davis, of San Francisco, began her career as a freelance writer for JET magazine and later became the first African-American woman news reporter/broadcaster on the West Coast at KPIX-TV in 1966. While there, she created and hosted All Together Now, one of the country's first primetime public affairs TV programs. In 1977, she joined PBS affiliate KQED-TV, where she anchored and produced news programs. From 1981 to 1999, she worked for KRON-TV as a special projects reporter.

Davis is the winner of numerous awards for her broadcast stories and coverage. She has been recognized nationally by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Education Writers Association and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Additionally, she is a labor activist, serving as national vice president of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and a leader within the San Francisco Bay community. She is currently president of the board of the San Francisco Museum of the African Diaspora.

In making the announcement, NABJ president (and AKA member) Barbara Ciara said of Davis and the other honorees: "Black journalists owe so much to these trailblazers who made it possible for journalists of color to have a voice in today's newsrooms. We are grateful for their tremendous impact on journalism and service to the black community. Their induction into the NABJ Hall of Fame is our homage to their legendary contributions."