The following is a sneak peek from our June issue, heading to press now.
Illustration by Melanie Snead
A friendly face and familiar presence on Richmond-area TV screens for the past 37 years, Sabrina Squire plans to sign off the air for the last time as a WWBT-NBC12 anchor on May 23. The first African-American prime-time co-anchor in Richmond, Squire says she’s looking forward to being a grandmother and waking up early enough to see the sunrise.
Working nearly four decades in one place is becoming rare in this business. How were you able to do that? People latched on to Gene [Cox] and me as a team. I also had a strong family network. I’d been married and divorced; I was a single parent for a long time, working long hours. My parents and siblings helped with babysitting.
What will you do next? I’m planning some trips and looking into activities I might sign up for. I have two daughters, a 35-year-old living in New York, and my younger daughter, who’s 29, married and lives in Alexandria. She’s about to have her first child.
How did you decide to go into journalism? I was curious about so many different areas. I had a tendency to ask questions. So I thought journalism might be a good fit.
“I feel especially proud that I demonstrated that [female co-anchors] bring a lot to the table.”
You’ve been a source of inspiration for lots of young women. Is there anyone who inspired you? One of the people I reached out to [as a young broadcast journalist] was Bernadine Simmons, the weekend anchor at Channel 12. She encouraged me. I considered her a mentor.
What part of your work has been most meaningful? Stories under the “Acts of Kindness” banner. I’ve been deeply moved by the most generous people who go out of their way to open their hearts and wallets to help people in need. They inspire me to be a better person.
What other memories stand out? Reporting live from the first Obama inauguration was such a mind-blowing experience — [seeing] busload after busload of people.
Tell me about your trip to South Africa. That was during the [Gov. George] Allen administration in the ’90s. His wife led a delegation a few months after the dismantling of apartheid. I did a series of reports after I got back. What stood out was the feeling of uncertainty on the part of a lot of the black people I met in South Africa. I thought this must be how a lot of people felt during the [civil rights] struggle of the ’50s and ’60s in America. Is this going to last? How many doors will this open?
You worked with Gene Cox for more than three decades. What was that like? It was a real partnership. We shared everything and enjoyed hanging out even off the set.
What are you most proud of? Being among the first female co-anchors in Richmond, I feel especially proud that I demonstrated that we bring a lot to the table, that we can connect with an audience and enhance ratings. Hopefully, that’s opened some doors for others.