Amanda Davis

Early life Davis was born in San Antonio in 1955.

Education Davis graduated magna cum laude from Clark College in Atlanta, Georgia.

Career Early years (1979–1986) Davis initially worked as a reporter for NBC affiliate WCNC-TV (then known as WRET-TV, before changing to WPCQ-TV in 1980) in Charlotte, North Carolina, for about four years. Afterwards, she worked at the short-lived Satellite News Channel. After SNC was bought out and shut down by Turner Broadcasting in 1983, Davis spent the next three years freelancing.

WAGA-TV Atlanta (1986–2013) In 1986, Davis moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to work as a reporter for the CBS affiliate WAGA-TV (WAGA-TV would change their affiliation to FOX in December 1994). She was also noted for covering activist Coretta Scott King's funeral and interviewing President-elect Barack Obama. Following a DUI arrest in November 2012, she retired from the network in 2013 after nearly 27 years. She was replaced by Cynnè Simpson as the host of the 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. broadcasts, while Lisa Rayam replaced Davis as the host of the 6 p.m. broadcast.

WGCL-TV Atlanta (2015–2017) In 2015, after two years in retirement, Davis signed with Atlanta's CBS affiliate, WGCL-TV. Before she was scheduled to make a debut on its "Just a Minute" segment in June, she was arrested again for a DUI. Her debut was put on hold, as she received probation and entered rehab. After the stint in rehab, she was the subject of a three-part special about her alcoholism. On January 2, 2017, feeling she had beaten her addiction, she finally debuted with WGCL-TV on its morning and afternoon shows, following an arrest for driving under a suspended license in December.

Legacy In honor of Davis, and to raise stroke awareness, several news anchors and reporters across the country wore red under the hashtag, #RedforAmanda. Davis made a posthumous cameo appearance in the debut episode of The CW series Black Lightning. The seventh episode "Equinox: The Book of Fate" is dedicated in her memory.

Accolades Davis won several awards, including ten Southeast Emmy Awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award.