Public memorial for legendary journalist Belva Davis in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — The Bay Area community is coming together Monday to honor the life of legendary journalist Belva Davis. A public memorial is being held at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco beginning at 11 a.m.

The service is being streamed live on KRON4.com.

Davis, who died in September at 92 years of age, was a trailblazer in the media industry as the first woman of color to work as a television news reporter on the West Coast. She spent five decades working in the Bay Area at three major television stations, including KRON4.

Throughout her storied career, Davis interviewed countless influential figures, including Martin Luther King Jr, Muhammad Ali, the Black Panthers and every president from Ronald Reagan to George Bush. She covered 9/11 and Jonestown.

She earned eight Emmy Awards and was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Hall of Fame in 2008. Davis retired in 2012.

“We both started from humble beginnings,” said her husband Bill Moore, “but managed to build a life beyond any of our wildest dreams. The thing we enjoyed most was traveling the world from the Bay Area to parts near and far. We started our lives together during a time of social unrest but vowed to raise our family to make a difference.”

Darolyn Davis, Belva’s daughter, said, “Mom was our family’s heart and soul. She was the engine that powered me, my brother and my Dad until the end. She instilled us with the confidence to dream big and to face every challenge with integrity and commitment. She would say if you can dream it, you can make it so. We miss her deeply.”

Grace Cathedral is located at 1100 California Street.