16th year anniversary of the assassination of local journalist Chauncey Bailey

16th year anniversary of the assassination of local journalist Chauncey Bailey

In Memory of Chauncey Bailey

By Lynda Carson - August 3, 2023

Oakland - In memory with deep sadness, and respect, yesterday on August 2, 2023, it was the 16th year anniversary of the assassination local journalist Chauncey Bailey, who was gunned down in cold blood, on the cold-hearted streets of Oakland near Alice St., and 14th St.

Like many others locally, I was SHOCKED by the assassination of Chauncey Bailey when it occurred, and as the years pass by, Chauncey is still in my thoughts, and in my heart.

As a very prominent local journalist who used to work for the Oakland Tribune and the Oakland Post, I was deeply honored to know Chauncey Bailey, and was interviewed by him for around 9 or 10 articles or more through the years that he wrote about landlord / tenant issues, and tenant’s rights issues.

As an example, back in 2001, Chauncey Bailey covered the story of a rally for the Oakland Tribune that occurred in front of the Oakland City Hall that I helped to organize many years ago that was in opposition to the proposed demise of the 3% rent cap in Oakland, at that time.

Through the years I ran into Chauncey during numerous rallies at Oakland's City Hall, and was always glad to see him take an interest in our community events and rallies regarding tenant’s rights issues, and the plight of low-income tenants facing eviction by the greedy landlords of Oakland.

Chauncey knew how to make us all feel special through his inspiring type of journalism, and activism.

I last saw Chauncey at Albertsons (now called Lucky Grocers) one early evening near Lake Merritt in Oakland, where he greeted me like an old friend, and it made me feel wonderful to know such a beautiful inspiring individual.

I was deeply shocked and am still saddened by the assassination of Chauncey Bailey 16 years ago on the cold-hearted streets of Oakland… I wondered, and still wonder all these years later, how could that possibly have happened to such a beautiful soul?

I hope others join me in remembrance of Chauncey Bailey, and cherish this moment of life while it exists.

If interested, below are a few stories about the assassination of Chauncey Bailey that I have saved through the years taking us back in history and memories, to the shocking assassination of Chauncey Bailey 16 years ago.

In Memory of Chauncey Bailey.

Lynda Carson may be reached at newzland2 [at] gmail.com

See stories below…

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American journalist's murder seen as work-related

Agence France-Presse

Last updated 08:08am (Mla time) 08/04/2007

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view_article.php?article_id=80535

SAN FRANCISCO -- A prominent black journalist who was gunned down in Oakland, California may have been killed in relation to his work, his publication's lawyer said Friday.

Chauncey Bailey, 57, known for covering sensitive issues in the large San Francisco Bay area African-American community, was shot dead in broad daylight in a targeted killing Thursday, police said.

Witnesses told police a masked gunman approached Bailey on a downtown street and fired a shot to his back and another to his head before fleeing.

"The shooting does not appear to be random," Oakland Police spokesman Roland Holmgren told the media.

"Some of the stories that he was working on may contain information that could be a motive, but that is speculation at this point," said Walter Riley, attorney for the Oakland Post.

Riley called the killing "a significant blow to the newspaper and the community, and it seems to be related to his professional life."

"I've seen a lot of things as a civil rights organizer and activist in the south, but something like this is just stunning."

Journalists and black activists expressed shock and sadness Friday at the rare murder of a reporter in the United States.

Global journalists advocacy group Reporters Without Borders said it was stunned by the killing.

"The manner of Bailey's death was as shocking as its impact. It was a targeted killing carried out in broad daylight with nothing being taken from the victim," the group said in a statement.

"We hope an investigation will quickly establish the facts and bring those responsible to justice."

"African Americans have lost a champion and the world has lost an outstanding journalist," said the Bay Area Black Journalists Association on its website.

After spending over 20 years covering the African American community for the Oakland Tribune, Bailey had recently been named chief editor of the Post Newspapers, owners of the Oakland Post, one of the largest African American publications in the state.

He was known in the community as an outspoken critic of corruption.

"Chauncey was an advocate for the low income ghettos and black communities," said Lynda Carson, an Oakland tenants' rights activist. "He was always poking around and asking the right questions."

Another colleague remembered Bailey as an aggressive reporter whose pointed investigations ruffled feathers.

"He kept people on their toes," said Beverly Blythe, of Soul Beat TV. "He was curious and he did not mind pissing people off."

Congresswoman Barbara Lee remembered Bailey as a pillar of the community.

"It is my hope that the perpetrators of this horrible crime are brought to justice swiftly," said Lee in a statement.

"And that Chauncey's untimely death will bring our community together and strengthen our collective hand in rooting out this type of violence."

Copyright 2007 Agence France-Presse. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Chauncey Bailey Gunned Down In Oakland:

Oakland Post editor gunned down

MediaNews

Article Launched: 08/02/2007 08:53:37 AM PDT

http://origin.mercurynews.com/alamedacounty/ci_6526267

Friends expressed shock at news that Oakland Post Editor Chauncey Bailey was gunned down this morning in downtown Oakland.

Witnesses told police a masked gunman shot a man, then fled on foot to a waiting van and drove off. Police have not released a name but sources said that Bailey, 57, was the apparent victim.

The shooting happened about 7:25 a.m. in the 1400 block of Alice Street.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said they have no motive for the killing, except that it appeared to be a deliberate attack, and no suspects have been arrested.

Friends said Bailey's morning routine was to go to the McDonald's restaurant at 14th and Jackson streets and then to work at the Post offices at 405 14th St. in downtown Oakland.

Derrick Nesbitt, a friend who worked with Bailey at SoulBeat TV, showed up at the crime scene when he heard the news.

"Bailey was a great reporter, he lived for this stuff," Nesbitt said. "He was very controversial he could bring anger out in people. I always admired that in him. People would call in to the show."

Nesbitt felt a change in Bailey after he left the Tribune. "I always thought he was trying to get back on his track," he said.

An Oakland Tribune reporter for 12 years, between April 1993 and June 2005, Bailey was named editor of the Oakland Post this summer after writing freelance travel stories for the African-American weekly for about two years.

Bailey grew up in Oakland and had worked at other area media outlets including KDIA radio and Soul Beat TV and was involved with OUR-TV on Comcast Ch. 78.

Tribune Managing Editor Martin Reynolds talked with Bailey last week, when they saw each other at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza - outside Oakland City Hall.

"Chauncey was a unique and dedicated journalist who always captured the essence of the stories on his beat," Reynolds said. "He was passionate about his work, he loved his son and would often bring him into the Tribune newsroom."

He was very proud of his son and showed Reynolds a trading card with his son's photo on it. Reynolds said Bailey talked about returning to Vietnam, where he had done travel stories. "You always feel good after talking to Chauncey," Reynolds said.

Another friend expressed shock . "I've made phone calls all over telling people," said Sharon Broussard, a friend of Bailey's for at least 10 years. "They can't believe it. He's done so much for the community.

"I can't believe something like this, so tragic, would happen to someone who really cares about black people in Oakland and as a whole. I really can't talk anymore, because I'm really trying to work through all this."

David Glover, whose friendship with Bailey dates back to the 80s, when Bailey worked in Oakland as a mentor to young people, said "It's just shocking and unbelievable."

He added, "I have no idea why anyone would do it. Chauncey Bailey was a consummate professional."

Glover recalled Bailey as a tireless advocate for journalism - especially the need to attract more blacks and people of color to the field - and a good friend.

"This is not just a local loss, this is a loss to the field nationally," said Glover, executive director of the Oakland Citizens Committee for Urban Renewal, or OCCUR. "His work over the years has probably been responsible for an innumerable set of people being involved in the industry. I know he has been an inspiration to a lot of people."

Glover first met Bailey when he worked with OCCUR, mentoring young people who aspired to careers in journalism.

Bailey also had created a Black Press Weekly, a compilation of significant articles from black newspapers around the country.

"It's a tremendous loss to the community," Glover said. "He's been an intense and committed journalist all his professional career. . . . He was just an outstanding human being. I can't believe it."

Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $10,000 in reward money for information leading to the arrest of the suspect. Anyone with information can call police at (510) 238-3821 or Crime Stoppers at (510) 238-6946.

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Oakland editor slain in suspected contract killing

Chauncey Bailey, recently promoted to head the Post, an African American-run weekly newspaper, was gunned down near his office.

By John M. Glionna, Times Staff Writer
1:01 PM PDT, August 2, 2007

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-oakland3aug03,0,7724030.story?coll=la-home-local

SAN FRANCISCO -- The editor of a weekly newspaper in Oakland was gunned down as he walked to work this morning in what police called a contract killing.

Chauncey Bailey, 58, recently promoted to editor of the Oakland Post, was shot at 7:30 a.m. not far from his office. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses told police that a gunman in dark clothing approached Bailey and shot him multiple times before fleeing. He was shot in the back and in the head.

Roland Holmgren, a spokesman for the Oakland Police Department, said officials were treating the crime as a contract killing "because of the witness statements, the shooter's mannerisms and how the crime was committed."

Bailey, a former reporter for the Oakland Tribune, was promoted just a few months ago to editor of the Post, the largest African American-run newspaper in Northern California.

Before his promotion, as a Post reporter, he mainly wrote political and human-interest stories. He recently traveled to Vietnam for a story, said Gwendolyn Carter, advertising manager of the 50,000-circulation paper.

"He loved politics and writing about people," she said. "He just did a story on a lady who just recently found her son after 40 years of being separated."

Holmgren said Bailey, who lived in Oakland, was known for his aggressive style of questioning public officials. But colleagues said he rarely did the kind of investigative stories that might have earned him enemies.

"People might be upset at him, but Chauncey didn't go around making enemies," Carter said. "He was a wonderful guy. He was my big brother, and I was his little sister."

Police today were trying to piece together Bailey's routine and whether he was so regular in his schedule that the killer could have lain in wait.

"We're exploring everything," Holmgren said. "We just don't know if there was something related to his job that was the root of this. There's nothing glaring at the moment."

Bailey's one dozen colleagues were in shock.

"No one here has any idea at all how this could have happened," said John Bowens, an advertising consultant at the paper.

"You see things on TV that just don't seem real," he said. "I know what people mean when they say that now. It's like a horror movie."

john.glionna [at] latimes.com


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Barbara Lee's Statement on the Death of Chauncey Bailey

Aug. 2, 2007, 5:45 p.m. - Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) issued the following statement in response to the news that Oakland Post editor Chauncey Bailey was shot and killed in Oakland this morning:

"I was shocked and saddened to learn of Chauncey Bailey's death this morning," said Lee. "Chauncey contributed so much to the fabric our community, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."

"It is my hope that the perpetrators of this horrible crime are brought to justice swiftly, and that Chauncey's untimely death will bring our community together and strengthen our collective hand in rooting out this type of violence," she said.

http://www.reddingnewsreview.com/newspages/2007newspages/barbara_lee_07_091000140.htm

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Prominent black journalist gunned down in Oakland

Published: Friday August 3, 2007

http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Prominent_black_journalist_gunned_d_08032007.html

A noted journalist and advocate of the African American community in Oakland, California was gunned down in broad daylight in a targeted killing, police said Friday.

Witnesses told police a masked gunman approached Chauncey Bailey, 57, on a downtown street Thursday and fired a shot to his back and another to his head before fleeing.

"The shooting does not appear to be random," Oakland Police spokesman Roland Holmgren told the media.

Bailey had recently been named the editor at the Oakland Post, one of the largest African American publications in the state.

He had long been known in the community as an outspoken critic of corruption.

"Chauncey was an advocate for the low income ghettos and black communities," said Lynda Carson, an Oakland tenants' rights activist. "He was always poking around and asking the right questions."

Some former colleagues believe the sensitivity of Bailey's reporting may be connected to his assassination-style killing.

"Some of the stories that he was working on may contain information that could be a motive, but that is speculation at this point," said Walter Riley, attorney for the Oakland Post.

"I've seen a lot of things as a civil rights organizer and activist in the south, but something like this is just stunning."

Riley called the killing "a significant blow to the newspaper and the community, and it seems to be related to his professional life."

Another colleague remembered Bailey as an aggressive reporter whose pointed investigations ruffled feathers.

"He kept people on their toes," said Beverly Blythe, of Soul Beat TV. "He was curious and he did not mind pissing people off."

Congresswoman Barbara Lee remembered Bailey as a pillar of the community.

"It is my hope that the perpetrators of this horrible crime are brought to justice swiftly," said Lee in a statement.

"And that Chauncey's untimely death will bring our community together and strengthen our collective hand in rooting out this type of violence."

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RIP Chauncey Bailey -- Fierce Advocate for the Black Community

by NAM (reposted)

Thursday Aug 2nd, 2007 6:19 PM

Originally From New America Media

Thursday, August 2, 2007 : The New America Media family would like to extend our personal condolences to the family of Chauncey Bailey -- a consummate professional , friend, mentor and Black Media pioneer. Mr. Bailey was gunned down this morning in Oakland, California.
The New America Media family would like to extend our personal condolences to the family of Chauncey Bailey -- a consummate professional , friend, mentor and Black Media pioneer. Mr. Bailey was gunned down this morning in Oakland, California. He will be remembered as a fierce advocate for the African-American press and community, a loving father, a visionary media businessman and a friend of New America Media/Pacific News Service for over twenty years.

New America Media Executive Director Sandy Close said of Bailey, "Chauncey was a co-founder of New America Media and one of the best investigative journalists working bar none. He was brave in the face of whatever challenges he had to confront, especially any institution, public or private, that was not living up to the communities expectations and standards. He loved focusing on the local and global, he was adept at connecting the Bay Area Black community to the international African diaspora. He once said. "All of the ethnic media are like fingers on a hand. Only together will we be strong like a fist.' Chauncey Bailey was distinguished by his work in the Oakland Tribune, Oakland post, San Francisco Sun Reporter, San Francisco Bayview, Soul Beat TV and Our TV among others. He will be sorely missed."

https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/08/02/18438500.php

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