By Bo Tefu | California Black Media
Davis broke barriers in the 1960s when she joined television newsrooms long dominated by White men. She went on to build a decades-long career in San Francisco at KPIX-TV, KRON, and KQED, where she hosted KQED Newsroom and This Week in Northern California until her retirement in 2012.
“Belva’s passing is a great loss for the Bay Area and KQED,” said Michael Isip, president and CEO of KQED. “For a half a century she covered the region’s most indelible stories with courage, integrity, grace and humanity. Along the way she fearlessly broke down barriers and opened doors for a generation of reporters.”
Born in 1932 in Monroe, Louisiana, Davis grew up during the Great Depression and the Jim Crow era. Her family later moved to California’s East Bay during the Second Great Migration. Without a college degree, she launched her career writing for Jet and Ebony magazines before moving into television.
Her reporting spanned historic moments including the assassination of Harvey Milk, the AIDS crisis, and numerous elections. She interviewed leaders and cultural icons such as Muhammad Ali, Coretta Scott King, Fidel Castro, and Kamala Harris.
Carla Marinucci, a longtime California political reporter, remembered Davis as both a mentor and a trailblazer. “She took many of us under her wing. An entire generation of us, myself included, have Belva to thank for breaking down barriers and for giving us a hand,” she said.
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said Davis inspired generations of young journalists. “For Black women and people of color working to break into media and television, Belva was a beacon,” Lee said. “She opened doors that had long been closed, proving through her talent and perseverance that our voices belonged on the airwaves.”
Davis won eight regional Emmy Awards and received lifetime achievement honors from the National Association of Black Journalists and American Women in Radio and Television. She is survived by her husband, Bill Moore, and her two children, Darolyn and Steven Davis.
