Legendary Bay Area journalist Belva Davis dies at 92

(KRON) — Legendary Bay Area television news journalist Belva Davis died Wednesday morning, KRON4 has confirmed. She was 92 years old.

Davis spent five decades working in the Bay Area at three major television stations, including KRON4. She was a pioneer in the media industry as the first woman of color to work as a television news reporter on the West Coast.

She was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Hall of Fame in 2008. Davis retired in 2012. Some of her most notable works include reporting from Tanzania after the U.S. Embassy bombings.

“NABJ mourns the passing of trailblazing journalist and 2008 NABJ Hall of Fame inductee Belva Davis, who broke barriers as the first Black woman television journalist on the West Coast. Rest in power, Belva Davis. Your legacy and light lives on,” the NABJ posted on X Wednesday night.

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee called Davis a “pioneer and a dear friend.”

“From the moment I met Belva Davis as a young student at Mills College, she was a
steady source of inspiration, guidance, and friendship for me,” said Mayor Lee. “For Black women and people of color working to break into media and television, Belva was a beacon. She opened doors that had long been closed, proving through her talent and perseverance that our voices belonged on the airwaves. She made it possible for a new generation of journalists to see themselves in all forms of media and to know they had a place in shaping public conversation. Belva was a role model, a pioneer, and a dear friend whose legacy endures in the countless people she inspired.”

Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown gave his thoughts on Davis’ legacy.

“I think Belva left a standard that, for the journalistic world, probably will be difficult to meet,” Brown said. “Not only did Belva pioneer on the women’s side of journalism… Belva was all of those things. She was skilled at each (aspect of journalism) without ever having been trained in any of them.”

Former San Francisco Mayor London Breed said Davis was an “icon.”

“It’s really a big loss here in San Francisco. Belva Davis is an icon,” Breed said. “I worked very closely with her and her daughter in the community… what she did to open up the doors for African Americans in journalism and the opportunities she helped to provide.”

This story will be updated.