MS HR94

Dr. Elayne Hayes-Anthony, a Jackson, Mississippi native who passed away on March 5, 2026, was the first African-American woman to serve as anchor, producer, and reporter at WJTV-TV12 (CBS affiliate in Jackson)

Earned her Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and served as chair of the Department of Mass Communication at Jackson State University, achieving national accreditation for the program

Served as interim president of Jackson State University and as founding chair of the Department of Communication at Belhaven University, where she became a tenured full professor

First African American to serve on the Board of Directors of the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters and first African-American woman to serve as its president

Served nearly two decades on the Mississippi State Board of Health beginning with appointment by Governor Haley Barbour in 2007, while also hosting television programs "F.Y.I. with Elayne Anthony" and "In Depth with Elayne Anthony"