Roxbury library to be named for WBZ's Sarah-Ann Shaw, Boston's first Black female reporter

CBS News

24-06-2025

The Roxbury Branch of the Boston Public Library will be renamed to honor WBZ's Sarah-Ann Shaw, Boston's first Black woman TV reporter.
Boston's first Black female TV reporter
Shaw, a lifelong resident of Roxbury, worked at WBZ-TV from 1969-2000. She died in 2024 at the age of 90.
"Sarah-Ann Shaw paved the way for generations of journalists, storytellers, and leaders. Her passion for her Roxbury community and brilliance in reporting stories that otherwise would not have received the coverage they deserved reshaped Boston's media landscape," said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.
The proposed name of the Roxbury Branch is the Shaw-Roxbury Branch Library. Wu and the Public Facilities Commission are expected to finalize the name change on July 2.
"The family is very grateful to Mayor Wu and the Trustees of the Boston Public Library for this recognition of our matriarch, Sarah-Ann Shaw. As a Roxbury native and a BPS graduate, she would be pleased and humbled by this honor," said Klare Shaw, daughter of Sarah-Ann Shaw. "Mom was committed to this branch. Whether pushing for empowerment with the Master Plan or collaborating with her colleagues at the "Friends of the Library" to promote education, literacy, Black History, and culture-- she did the work."
"I've tried to explain various ethnic and racial communities to people who don't live in those communities. I've tried to be a bridge," Shaw once said.
Shaw remembered as "an inspiration"
Her first decade at WBZ was a tumultuous time in Boston with the Civil Rights struggle, the Vietnam War and busing. Shaw gave a voice to Boston's underserved communities.
"A trailblazing, beloved, and proud daughter of Roxbury, Sarah-Ann Shaw dedicated her life to educating and empowering her community and the entire City of Boston by unapologetically telling our stories, shattering concrete ceilings, and mentoring other Black journalists here and across the country," said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. "Her lifelong commitment to shed light on the joy and brilliance of Boston's Black and brown communities and lift up neighborhood grassroots movements is an inspiration to us all."
The Roxbury Branch, located in Nubian Square, opened in 1978, replacing the smaller Mount Pleasant and Roxbury branches. The Roxbury Branch is now the largest branch in the Boston Public Library system.
"I can vividly recall seeing her at the library speaking to folks sometimes about how proud they were as changes were made making our library what it has become, a place worthy to honor the dedication and commitment of Sarah-Ann Shaw," said Haywood Fennell Sr, community member.