Lost Black History
By Don Valentine
Alice Travis was our Black Queen who opened the door for the current mainstream Black women newscasters. Thanks to her fortitude, courage and above par talent, we have her proteges all across the country. In 1977 she became the first Black woman to host her own national talk show. The New York Times called her 1977 debut, For You … Black Woman “…the first national talk show created for, as the title suggested, a Black female audience. From a set in a New York studio designed to look like a comfortable living room, Travis discussed topics like self-fulfillment, relationships, beauty, politics and parenting as they applied specifically to Black women, occasionally with notable figures. Her guests included Toni Morrison, the activist Florynce Kennedy and the actress Jayne Kennedy.”
She shared a particular humility and patience all the “Color-Line” breakers possessed . All of the “First Color Breakers” like Jackie Robinson, Justice Marshall, Marian Anderson, President Obama and others, had an innate resilience in their character. Those Black heroes possessed a teflon chromosome which let them ignore racial slurs, and strive to outperform their White peers. Likewise, Ms.Travis had to endure racial comments about her ability.
The worst remark was when she auditioned for the burgeoning Good Morning America show. She was 32, a veteran newscaster who had already co-hosted two major-market news shows: “Panorama” (alongside Maury Povich), in Washington D.C., and “AM New York.” The New York Times reported, “That she was unprepared for what she said a network executive told her after the audition. ‘Quite frankly your color is not to your advantage,’ Travis recounted over lunch in Manhattan this past summer. “‘Shocking statements, but after a while they no longer shocked.’”
That rejection was unable to derail her broadcast goals. She persisted and was honored in multiple editions of Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the East, Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who of American Women. Absent her “Color” breaking footprints, Oprah may never have become a famous billionaire
