Belva Davis facts for kids

Belva Davis (born Belvagene Melton on October 13, 1932) is a famous American journalist. She worked in both television and radio. Belva Davis made history as the first African-American woman to become a TV reporter on the U.S. West Coast.

She has won eight Emmy Awards. These are special prizes for people who work in television. She was also honored by groups like the American Women in Radio and Television.

Belva grew up in Oakland, California. She started writing for magazines in 1957. Soon after, she began reporting on radio and TV. She covered many important events. These included topics about race, gender, and politics. Later, she became a news anchor. She even hosted her own talk show. Belva Davis retired from her amazing career in 2012.

Belva Davis's Early Life

Belvagene Melton was born on October 13, 1932. Her parents were John and Florence Melton. She was born in Monroe, Louisiana. Belva was the oldest of four children. Her mother was very young when Belva was born. So, Belva spent her early years living with different relatives.

When she was eight, Belva and her family moved. They went to a small apartment in West Oakland. This neighborhood is in Oakland, California. Eleven people lived in that two-bedroom apartment! Belva later said she learned to survive. She also learned to adapt to new places. She felt she could become whatever she needed to be.

By the late 1940s, her parents bought a house. It was in Berkeley, California. Belva graduated from Berkeley High School in 1951. She was the first in her family to finish high school. She got accepted into San Francisco State University. But she could not afford to go. Instead, she worked as a typist. She worked at the Oakland Naval Supply Depot.

Her Journalism Career

In 1957, Belva Davis got a writing job. It was for Jet magazine. This magazine focused on African-American issues. She became a stringer for them. This meant she wrote articles from different places. She earned $5 for each story. Her name was not even printed with the articles.

Over the next few years, she wrote for other African-American newspapers. These included the Sun Reporter. She even edited the Sun Reporter from 1961 to 1968.

Starting in Radio and TV

In 1961, Belva started working in radio. She was an interviewer for KSAN. This was a San Francisco radio station. It played rhythm and blues music. It was for black listeners in the Bay Area.

Her first TV appearance was in 1963. She worked for KTVU, an Oakland TV station. She covered an African-American beauty pageant. Later, she was a disc jockey for KDIA radio. This was a soul-gospel station.

A big event made her want to be a reporter. It was the 1964 Republican National Convention. This meeting was in Daly City, California. Belva was covering it with a colleague. Some people at the convention threw food at them. They also yelled mean things. This was because of their race. It showed Belva the challenges she would face.

Breaking Barriers

In 1966, Belva worked for KNEW radio. Then, she made history. She became the first African-American woman TV journalist on the West Coast. This happened when she was hired by KPIX-TV. This TV station is in San Francisco.

She worked for KPIX for three decades. In 1970, she became an anchorwoman. A few years later, she moved to KRON-TV. This was another major TV station.

People admired Belva for her reporting. She covered politics, race, and gender issues. She was also known for her calm way of speaking. Another reporter, Rita Williams, said Belva had "so much class." She was seen as a very important person in journalism.

Later Career and Retirement

Belva Davis wrote a book about her life. It is called Never in My Wildest Dreams: A Black Woman's Life in Journalism. It was published in 2010. Bill Cosby wrote the introduction for her book. He said Belva was important to African-American TV viewers. She made them proud. He wrote that she showed people that old stereotypes were wrong.

From the 1990s, Belva hosted "This Week in Northern California." This show was on PBS station KQED. She retired in November 2012. Her last show included an interview with her friend, Maya Angelou. Belva wanted her final show to be about friendship.

Her Personal Life

Belva married Frank Davis on January 1, 1952. They had two children and a granddaughter. Belva met her second husband, Bill Moore, in 1967. They met while working at KPIX-TV. Belva and Bill used to live in San Francisco. Now they live in Petaluma, California.

Belva Davis is a private person. For most of her career, she kept her personal life separate. In 1975, a woman named Kathleen H. Arnold made a show about Belva. It was called Belva Davis – This is Your Life. Belva also helped mentor Kathleen for many years.

Belva serves on the boards of several important groups. These include the Museum of the African Diaspora. She also helped raise a lot of money for this museum. She raised $5 million in one year!

Awards and Honors

Belva Davis won eight Emmy Awards. These were from the San Francisco / Northern California area. She is also an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha.

She has received special lifetime achievement awards. These came from the American Women in Radio and Television. She also got one from the National Association of Black Journalists. These awards celebrate her long and important career.