Belva Davis, Trailblazing Journalist, Remembered in San Francisco
Friends, family, and colleagues recently gathered at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco to honor the life and legacy of Belva Davis — the pioneering Bay Area journalist who broke barriers as the first African American woman to appear on television in the western United States.
By Earl Heath | Contributing Writer
Friends, family, and colleagues recently gathered at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco to honor the life and legacy of Belva Davis — the pioneering Bay Area journalist who broke barriers as the first African American woman to appear on television in the western United States.
Davis, who passed away in September at age 92, blazed a trail for generations of broadcasters. She began her television career in the 1960s at KTVU, covering a beauty pageant, and went on to report for several Bay Area stations.
At a time when few women — and even fewer women of color — were on television, Davis rose to prominence despite facing racism and discrimination. She became best known for hosting This Week in Northern California on KQED, helping shape the region’s journalistic voice for decades.
“Her life and career always embodied courage and perseverance,” said Michael Isip, president and CEO of KQED.
Nearly 2,000 people filled the landmark Grace Cathedral to pay tribute through music, reflection, and storytelling — all honoring a woman who changed the face of journalism.
Bill Whitiker CBS News- 60 minutes
A Life Rooted in Community
Born Belvagene Melton on October 13, 1932, in Monroe, Louisiana, Davis migrated with her family to Oakland, California, where she graduated from Berkeley High School in 1951. Those early years in the East Bay nurtured the deep community ties that would define her career.
“We would go to church all day, spend all day there, go back home and return at night. That’s how we spent our Sundays,” recalled lifelong friend Mary Towns.
Davis began her career in print, freelancing for Jet magazine in 1957 and writing for the Sun Reporter before moving into Bay Area radio. In 1966, she made history again when she joined KPIX-TV, becoming the first Black woman hired as a television journalist on the West Coast.
Willie Brown former Speaker of California Assembly former Mayor of San Francisco Photo by Earl Heath
Covering History as It Happened
Over nearly five decades at KPIX, KRON, and KQED, Davis reported on some of the most pivotal moments in Bay Area and national history — the Free Speech Movement, the rise of the Black Panther Party, the Jonestown tragedy, the Moscone-Milk assassinations, and the AIDS crisis. She also interviewed a remarkable range of figures, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., George H. W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Alex Haley, Fidel Castro, Muhammad Ali, and Cesar Chavez.
One defining moment came in 1964, when Davis covered the Republican National Convention at San Francisco’s Cow Palace. There, she endured racist harassment that strengthened her resolve rather than broke it.
“Once they recognized we were news reporters, they kept throwing things at us,” she later recalled. “That’s when I realized the power of the press.”
Footage of the incident aired nationwide — and, as Davis noted, helped expose the uglier side of politics at the time.
Barbara Lee – Former Congresswomen and Mayor of Oakland Photo by Earl Heath
Honors, Influence, and Legacy
Davis earned eight Emmy Awards from the San Francisco/Northern California chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. She also received lifetime achievement honors from the National Association of Black Journalists and the American Women in Radio and Television.
“Belva was not only the best journalist I ever knew, she was one of the finest human beings,” said Willie Brown, former California Assembly Speaker and San Francisco mayor. “She brought visibility to all of Northern California — from Vallejo to Richmond to San Jose.”
Former Congresswoman Barbara Lee recalled Davis’s attention to presentation and professionalism.
“She always wanted me to look my best, especially in public,” Lee said with a smile. “‘Why are you wearing that color top? What about those shoes?’ she’d say.”
“Belva wasn’t just a role model for African American women — she was a role model for all women in journalism,” added Rita Williams, former KTVU reporter and close friend.
A Partnership and a Purpose
In 1963, Davis married Bill Moore, who became California’s first full-time Black cameraman in commercial television. The couple shared a 62-year marriage, raising two children, Dalryn and Steven, and celebrating their granddaughter, Sterlin.
Bill Whitaker of CBS News and 60 Minutes remembered her enduring influence.
“When I first met Belva, she was small in stature — but she knew everybody,” Whitaker said. “She came from humble beginnings and rose to the top of her profession when no one else who looked like her was there. She connected people of all races — just look around this room. She’s still doing it today.”
