Oakland – Last Sunday, August 2, 2020, marked 13 years since Oakland Tribune and Oakland Post Reporter Chauncey Bailey was murdered for his community-minded reporting. Chauncey Bailey had a lifetime passion for journalism, and for sharing important truths. He started at a young age delivering newspapers, and went on to work at multiple news outlets, including at the Oakland Tribune, and, at the time of his death, Mr. Bailey was working at the Oakland Post.
Mr. Bailey was a community leader in mass communications and journalism, creating the “Black Press Weekly,” a compilation of significant articles from Black newspapers around the country. His commitment to his community and passion for reporting, led him to mentor youth with journalistic aspirations as well.
President Rebecca Kaplan stated: “ I had the pleasure and honor to get to know Mr. Bailey, and work with him repeatedly over the years, including during his time at Soul Beat TV, where he interviewed me multiple times, and where I was inspired by his focus on local needs and on under-reported stories and community members, and dedication to uncovering prejudice and misconduct.
I am honored to support commemorating his legacy and life by renaming 14th Street, between Oak Street and Broadway, as Chauncey Bailey Way, and to continue to uplift his efforts. One of the values I was raised with, is that an important way to honor the lives of those we have lost, is by uplifting and supporting the work they did in the world. Chauncey Bailey was a dedicated voice for truth — often covering stories and issues that better-funded outlets were not covering. At the time of his murder, Mr. Bailey had been working on important coverage related to police misconduct, including covering up of murder. To honor his life and his legacy, we must continue to fight for truth and accountability, including in the situations he was covering, and the events leading up to his murder. I am thankful to Oakland’s independent police commission for taking up these issues, and to Chauncey Bailey for his dedication and commitment. May his memory be a blessing, and may both our words and our actions honor his life.”
For more history, see:
https://archives.cjr.org/behind_the_news/post_50.php
Councilmember At-Large Rebecca Kaplan is an honors graduate from MIT, and holds a J.D. from Stanford Law School. Kaplan was elected in 2008 to serve as Oakland’s citywide Councilmember, she was re-elected in 2016.