Bill Text: SC H5532 | 2019-2020 | 123rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Kimberlei Davis
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 78-45)
Status: (Passed) 2020-09-15 - Introduced and adopted [H5532 Detail]
Download: South_Carolina-2019-H5532-Introduced.html
A HOUSE RESOLUTION
TO CONGRATULATE NEWS JOURNALIST KIMBERLEI DAVIS OF ORANGEBURG COUNTY ON HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE FIELD OF JOURNALISM AND TO WISH HER ALL THE BEST AS SHE STEPS INTO HER NEWEST ROLES AS A PROFESSOR OF JOURNALISM AT BENEDICT COLLEGE AND MEDIA COACH.
Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is pleased to learn that accomplished news journalist Kimberlei Davis of Orangeburg County will serve as a professor of journalism at Benedict College and media coach; and
Whereas, a pioneer in media, Kimberlei Davis is one of only a few Black reporters to work in television, radio, print, and digital media simultaneously. Her influence can be seen throughout digital media as one of the first to report on trending news in the Southeast. She was also the first to wear her natural crown on-air in 2015; and
Whereas, this second-generation Army veteran has interviewed Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award winners, among many other celebrities; and
Whereas, Kimberlei, an honors graduate of Johnson C. Smith University and Cambridge College, enjoys telling impactful stories that move people to action and inspire kindness. She has proven herself on the front lines of service as a journalist, lending her voice to amplify the need for equity in maternal and infant health, to expose gaps in foster care, and to lay bare the racial disparities and digital divide amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether she is following such events as the 2015 massacre at Mother Emanuel in Charleston and the subsequent removal of the Confederate flag from the State House grounds or analyzing global responses to the 2020 murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, Kimberlei advocates for policies advantageous to outcomes for communities of color; and
Whereas, further, Kimberlei is the immediate past senior digital content news producer and digital news anchor at WOLO-TV in Columbia. As the first person in the role, Kimberlei expanded the digital footprint of ABC Columbia News to multiple screens and platforms, thus increasing television viewership and social media followers; and
Whereas, because she believes in active participation in her community, Kimberlei is involved with various organizations in her area. Since 2009, she's helped parents of premature infants and children in foster care in South Carolina through her nonprofit charity, The LEAP Foundation. This mother and published author is also an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Jack and Jill of America, and The Links, and she volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and Harvest Hope Food Bank; and
Whereas, in recognition of her dedicated service to the people of South Carolina, Kimberlei Davis has captured various honors, including selection for the 2020 United Way of the Midlands Blueprint for Leadership and The State newspaper's "20 under 40" honorees for 2020. In addition, she is a 2019 James E. Clyburn Fellow and 2019 Talented Tenth (SC) DuBois Fellow; and
Whereas, Kimberlei finds her strongest support in her son, Benjamin Brown, a high achiever who recently was named a 2020 South Carolina Junior Scholar by the South Carolina Department of Education; and
Whereas, grateful for Kimberlei's strong commitment to excellence in the field of journalism, the House takes great pleasure in wishing her much continued success in all her future endeavors. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, congratulate news journalist Kimberlei Davis of Orangeburg County on her accomplishments in the field of journalism and wish her all the best as she steps into her newest roles as a professor of journalism at Benedict College and media coach.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Kimberlei Davis.
