There aren't many people in life who can say they've performed a 'first' in entertainment, but Jayne Kennedy can. She was the first black woman ever to win the Miss Ohio beauty contest and used the press attention that came with that victory to build a successful career for herself in both modeling and acting.
During the 70s, you were never far away from a Kennedy appearance on television. She rarely held down recurring or regular roles, but put in a wide range of guest appearances in shows such as 'Shaft,' 'The Six Million Dollar Man,' 'Starsky and Hutch' and 'Sanford and Son.' Kennedy's true passion was sports, though, and so she broke the mold once again when she became an NFL sportscaster in 1978, taking a position as an announcer on 'NFL Today.' There was some resistance from male colleagues and viewers, but Kennedy excelled in her role, eventually going on to host other sports shows on syndicated television.