Belva Davis, an Emmy Award-winning journalist who broke the color barrier in Bay Area radio and television in the 1960s, died Wednesday. She was 92.

Davis was the first Black woman to be hired as a television journalist on the West Coast when she took a position with KPIX-TV, the CBS affiliate in San Francisco, in 1966. She remained on the air for nearly five decades at KPIX, KRON and KQED. Davis rose to prominence during an era of pervasive sexism, racism and discrimination.

“Her legitimacy as an excellent reporter, her integrity, her professional accomplishments and her personal attributes made her the sort of person that everyone aspired to become,” said Mary Bitterman, who served as KQED’s CEO from 1993 to 2002.

“Her reputation as a journalist, reporter and anchor was always highly

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