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Fort Bend People
Damali Keith with her daughter
Damianna at Sugar Land Town Square
Damali Keith
on the
Fox 26 New
s set
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Q&A with Fox News Anchor
Damali Keith
Fort Bend newswoman shares her life’s joys, triumphs, and accomplishments
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Written by Danielle Hibberd | Photography by Mattie Postel
With a TV news career spanning nearly two decades,
reporter Damali Keith has reels of stories to share. But when
the cameras are off, this Fox 26 News broadcaster finds
happiness and joy in spending time with her greatest treasure
- her 5-year-old daughter, Damianna.
What’s your favorite part about being an
anchor and reporter?
I have always loved to tell and write stories. It’s a dream come
true to chat with people and write for a living. Most call them
interviews. I call it gabbing - and I love it!
How did you get started in TV news?
Seventeen years ago, I was watching The Oprah Winfrey Show
and a TV anchor in Owensboro, KY was being surprised.
Oprah was telling the woman she was chosen by a doctor to
go on a date. I said, “Owensboro has to be a starter television
market.” I was fresh out of college and applying to reporter
positions all over the country. So, I called the station. There
was an opening for a news reporter and back-up sports
anchor. I applied and never heard back. I kept calling the
news director. Finally the news director said, “Why do you
keep calling me? How did you even hear about the opening?”
I told him. He loved the story so much he hired me!
What has been your favorite
story to cover?
I’m proud to say I was able to change a piece of Texas history.
There were Texans who had been fighting for decades to get
their birth certificates changed. Their race was described as
“Negroid.” The terms Negroid, Mongoloid, and Caucasoid
come from the white supremacy science that became popular
around 1859. At that time, black people were slaves and
considered property, not people. So the Negroid description
comes with very negative connotations. The Texas
Department of State Health Services agreed to take the rare
action of removing Negroid from birth certificates for anyone
who makes the request. It wasn’t easy, but it’s a battle I’m glad
I fought.
How do you handle reporting
on sensitive topics?
Well, for many journalists, reporting on tragic stories is
“business as usual.” For me, even after 17 years in the news
business, tragedy is never just business. I always pray for the
people impacted in the story I’m working on.
Where do you find inspiration?
I’m inspired by kindness and by people who do things to
make life better for everyone, not just to make life better for
one.
What does your daughter, Damianna,
think about seeing you on TV?
She is one of the best gifts God ever gave me. She’s such a
little person! She’s smart, funny, and far more outgoing than
I will ever be. She imitates me all the time and walks around
the house giving news updates and live reports.
What do you do in your free time?
We spend a lot of time reading, eating (yes, we love eating),
riding bikes, swimming, and talking. We like to watch
princess movies and go on adventures, like to the zoo, the
museum district, and the park. Church is also a big part of
our lives. We say our prayers together at night and before we
eat.
How do you juggle motherhood
and a career?
Being a mommy and a journalist can be a chore, because I’m
always a mommy and I’m always a journalist. Even at home,
I’m routinely getting phone calls about potential stories, and
I’m constantly preparing for my next story. The little person
doesn’t always like that, because it takes my attention away
from her.
What’s something viewers may not
know about you?
I love to cook and I really enjoy anything that has to do with
fashion. I smile and laugh 99.7% of my day.
What do you like most about living
in Fort Bend?
We absolutely love Sugar Land Town Square. We love the
Movies Under the Moon, live concerts, and Dancing Under
the Stars. There is always something family-friendly going
on. When there aren’t any events taking place, we enjoy
shopping, the restaurants, and the fountain in the square.
SLM
DANIELLE HIBBERD is a freelance writer and mother of three
young boys. She and her husband live in Sugar Land.
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