The seed was planted early, as a kid, in a household in which the evening news was where facts were shared, ideas were exchanged, stories were told, and revelations about the world around him were laid out. This sparked curiosity that drove Dakarai into following a career in journalism.
That curiosity pushed Dakarai to Chicago, where he began an internship at WMAQ-TV, NBC5, before beginning a second internship at WFLD-TV, FOX32, where he worked as an investigative intern while attending classes at DePaul University.
It’s in those places where he started to understand how to follow facts, uncover truths and listen, compassionately, to be able to understand those in the communities around him. Dakarai took those lessons to Columbia, SC, where he worked as a reporter at WLTX-TV, the city’s CBS affiliated station. There, he reported extensively on the posthumous exoneration of George Stinney, Jr., a 14-year-old Black boy who was executed in 1944 after being wrongfully convicted of the murder of two white girls. The curiosity still burned.
Dakarai moved to Baltimore, MD, working at WMAR-TV, the ABC-affiliated news station. There he was nominated for a regional Emmy while covering the uprising after the 2015 death of Freddie Gray, a Black man who died in police custody. His storytelling also ignited change when a series of stories on ‘Stolen Valor’ caused a state legislator to introduce legislation to make it a crime in Maryland.
Dakarai returned to Chicago as a reporter at WFLD-TV. While in Chicago, Dakarai connected with members of the city’s communities to tell impactful stories and make meaningful connections, specializing in breaking news.
In October 2020, Dakarai joined FOX13 as an anchor/reporter. The principals of fairness, truth telling, compassion and giving a voice to those in dark or silence are what drives Dakarai to his core. He hopes to hear from those around the Mid-South as story ideas are always welcome.
When not working, he is an avid weightlifter and enjoys talking with friends. Feel free to connect with Dakarai on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or by sending him an email above.
