Chauncey Wendell Bailey Jr. (October 20, 1949 – August 2, 2007) was an American
journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
noted for his work primarily on issues of the
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
community. He served as editor-in-chief of ''
The Oakland Post'' in
Oakland, California
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
, from June 2007 until his murder. His 37-year career in journalism included lengthy periods as a reporter at ''
The Detroit News
''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the '' Detroit Tribune'' on Februa ...
'' and ''
The Oakland Tribune
The ''Oakland Tribune'' is a weekly newspaper published in Oakland, California, by the Bay Area News Group (BANG), a subsidiary of MediaNews Group.
Founded in 1874, the ''Tribune'' rose to become an influential daily newspaper. With the decline ...
''.
He was shot dead on a
Downtown Oakland
Downtown Oakland is the central business district of Oakland, California, United States; roughly bounded by both the Oakland Estuary and Interstate 880 on the southwest, Interstate 980 on the northwest, Grand Avenue on the northeast, and Lake ...
street on August 2, 2007, the victim of a crime syndicate he was investigating for a story.
His death outraged fellow journalists, who joined together to create the Chauncey Bailey Project dedicated to continuing his work and uncovering the facts of his murder. In June 2011 Yusuf Bey IV, owner of the
Your Black Muslim Bakery
Your Black Muslim Bakery (YBMB) was an American chain of bakery, bakeries opened by Yusuf Bey in 1968 in Santa Barbara, California, Santa Barbara, California, and relocated to Oakland, California, Oakland in 1971. A power broker (term), power b ...
, and his associate Antoine Mackey were convicted of ordering
Bailey's murder. A third man, bakery handyman Devaughndre Brousard, had earlier confessed to being the triggerman. Bailey was the first American journalist killed for domestic reporting since 1976.
Biography
Early years
Chauncey was born in
Oakland, California
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
, into a Catholic family who were members of St. Benedict's Catholic Church on 82nd Avenue.
He lived in East Oakland neighborhoods for many years and attended
Hayward High School in the nearby city of
Hayward.
Bailey earned an associate degree from Oakland's old
Merritt Community College in 1968, and a Bachelors in Journalism from
San Jose State University
San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a public university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) sys ...
in 1972.
Career
Bailey first wrote for ''The Oakland Post'' in 1970, and made his foray into
television news
News broadcasting is the medium of broadcasting various news events and other information via television, radio, or the internet in the field of broadcast journalism. The content is usually either produced locally in a radio studio or televis ...
that year as an on-air reporter with station
KNTV
KNTV (channel 11), branded as NBC Bay Area, is a television station licensed to San Jose, California, United States, serving as the San Francisco Bay Area's NBC network outlet. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Sta ...
in
San Jose, California
San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...
, where he continued through 1971. During the next three years he worked at the San Francisco ''Sun Reporter''.
In the mid-1970s, Bailey moved to
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
, to work on the ''
Hartford Courant
The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is considered to be the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New Haven ...
'' for three years. After working for a year on the rewrite desk at
United Press International
United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ...
in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, he returned to Oakland in 1978 and wrote for the ''
California Voice
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
'' through late 1980.
Bailey again moved to Chicago, where he worked as a publicist for the nonprofit Comprand Inc., and then relocated to
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
in 1981 to work for a year as
press secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage.
Duti ...
for the freshman
U.S. Representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
Gus Savage
Augustus Alexander "Gus" Savage (October 30, 1925 – October 31, 2015) was an American entrepreneur, publisher and a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois.
Life and career
Savage was born in Detroit, M ...
, D-Ill.
From 1982 Bailey spent the next decade as a
reporter
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
and
columnist
A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Column (newspaper), Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the fo ...
for the ''Detroit News,'' where he covered city government and worked on special projects.
In 1992 he returned to Oakland as public affairs director and newscaster on Bay Area radio with station
KDIA
KDIA (1640 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Vallejo, California, and serving the San Francisco Bay Area. It is owned by the Salem Media Group and broadcasts a Christian talk and teaching radio format. Salem also owns KFAX 1 ...
, which was co-owned by then
mayor of Oakland
The city of Oakland, California
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of t ...
,
Elihu Harris
Elihu Mason Harris (born August 15, 1947) is a retired American politician and college administrator. A member of the Democratic Party, Harris served as the 46th Mayor of Oakland, California from 1991 to 1999; he previously served for 12 years ...
and then
California Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature, the upper house being the California State Senate. The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.
The Asse ...
Speaker
Willie Brown. During this era Bailey was seen throughout the 1990s as an interviewer and commentator on ''Soul Beat Television'' on the Oakland cable station
KSBT, where he worked along with former Oakland actress
Luenell
Luenell Campbell (born March 12, 1959), known mononymously as Luenell, is an American comedian and actress.
Career
In the early-1990s, Luenell appeared regularly on ''Soul Beat TV'' on the Oakland, California
Oakland is the largest city an ...
.
Bailey worked at the ''Oakland Tribune'' from 1993 until 2005.
In the mid-1990s Bailey split from his wife.
In 2003 Bailey quit his program on Soul Beat after he failed in his attempt to buy the station. His program was canceled in 2004.
In 2005 he began writing freelance travel stories for ''The Oakland Post''. He became editor in June 2007, and then editor-in-chief of all five Post weeklies.
''The Post'' is the largest African-American weekly newspaper in northern California, published in
Oakland, California
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
, by the Post News Group, and serving mainly Oakland,
Berkeley
Berkeley most often refers to:
*Berkeley, California, a city in the United States
**University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California
* George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher
Berkeley may also refer ...
,
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
and San Francisco. In late 2004 Bailey became one of the producers, co-founders and hosts for ''OUR-TV (Opportunities in Urban Renaissance Television)'' on
Comcast
Comcast Corporation (formerly known as American Cable Systems and Comcast Holdings),Before the AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corpora ...
Channel 78.
Bailey had been known for his aggressive questioning of city officials.
Oakland Police spokesman Ronald Holmgren said: "I know him as being a somewhat outspoken type individual, assertive in his journalistic approach when trying to get at matters at hand."
Murder
Bailey had written several articles about the problems of
Your Black Muslim Bakery
Your Black Muslim Bakery (YBMB) was an American chain of bakery, bakeries opened by Yusuf Bey in 1968 in Santa Barbara, California, Santa Barbara, California, and relocated to Oakland, California, Oakland in 1971. A power broker (term), power b ...
. Saleem Bey, half-brother of Antar and Yusuf IV, had anonymously told Bailey believed both Antar and Bey IV had looted the business.
[
] By this time, the business was in
Chapter 11
Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, wheth ...
bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...
and was over one million dollars in debt.
Bailey was shot and killed while working on a story about the finances of Your Black Muslim Bakery, involving its pending bankruptcy.
The article was never published.
As Bailey walked to work on the morning of August 2, 2007, a van pulled up and a man jumped out and shot the reporter. According to a witness the man had a "long gun" and ran "full tilt" across the street.
[
] Oakland Fire Capt. Melinda Drayton said Bailey had been shot first in the back and then once in the head.
[
]
The killer was later identified as Devaughndre Broussard. He confessed to the murder,
[
] but after almost two years of incarceration, he agreed to testify against Bey IV in exchange for a 25-year sentence. He told authorities that Bey IV had a hit list of people "he wanted to get rid of" who had "done stuff to" the bakery and that Chauncey Bailey's name was on the list.
Broussard was booked on suspicion of murder on August 4, 2007, for the killing of Bailey, having told police detectives that he considered himself "a good soldier". Though other charges were made against those arrested, none of them were charged with Bailey's murder.
On August 7, 2007 Broussard was arraigned in Alameda County Superior Court, on charges of murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Broussard testified for the prosecution at the trial of Bey IV and Antoine Mackey in 2011. He stated in court he was ordered by Bey to find, track and kill Bailey before the journalist could print his latest article on the bakery.
Bey IV and Mackey were both convicted of multiple counts of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Recognition
![Chauncey Bailey Way, Oakland California](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Chauncey_Bailey_Way%2C_Oakland_California.jpg)
In March 2020, the
Oakland City Council
The Oakland City Council is an elected governing body representing the City of Oakland, California.
Since 1998, Oakland has had a mayor-council government. The mayor is elected for a four-year term. The Oakland City Council has eight council memb ...
voted to publicly memorialize Bailey by renaming a portion of 14th Street between Broadway and Oak Street to “Chauncey Bailey Way”, a street where he frequently walked to work before he died there. This street name was presented in a ceremony in March 2022.
The Chauncey Bailey Project
To continue Bailey's work and answer questions regarding his death, more than two dozen reporters, photographers and editors from print, broadcast and electronic media, as well as journalism students, formed a group called the Chauncey Bailey Project. It was convened by New America Media, the
Pacific News Service
Pacific News Service (PNS) was an American nonprofit alternative news media organization. PNS ceased operations in 2017.
The organization was located in Berkeley, California.
History
PNS was founded in 1969 by historian and sociologist Fr ...
and the
Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education
The Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education (MIJE), is an American nonprofit organization that trains Person of color, people of color to become Journalist, journalists, editors and newspaper managers. It also seeks to increase their ...
.
In June 2008, the Chauncey Bailey Project released a secretly recorded police video that reveals how Black Muslim Bakery leader Yusuf Bey IV kept the gun used in the Chauncey Bailey killing in his closet after the attack and bragged of playing dumb when investigators asked him about the shooting. Bey goes on to describe Bailey's shooting in detail, then laughingly denies he was there, and boasts that his friendship with the case's lead detective protected him from charges. Bey also claims he knew he was being recorded.
Bay Area activist, investigative journalist, and radio talk show host J.R. Valrey (who works under the pseudonym "Minister of Information JR"), has accused the Chauncey Bailey Project of inaccurate and "self-congratulatory" reporting. Valrey's criticisms largely stem from a 2008 Chauncey Bailey Project article published in the ''Oakland Tribune'' entitled "Evidence Ignored", of which Valrey's connections to Chauncey Bailey and Your Black Muslim Bakery was one of the focuses.
In 2010, Thomas Peele, Josh Richman, Mary Fricker and Bob Butler received the McGill Medal for Journalistic Courage from the
Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication
The Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication is a constituent college of the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, United States. Established in 1915, Grady College offers undergraduate degrees in journalism, advertising, public re ...
for their work on the project.
See also
*
List of journalists killed in the United States
Numerous journalists have been murdered or killed in the United States while reporting, covering a military conflict, or because of their status as a journalist. At least 39 of these have been directly targeted as a result of their journalistic i ...
*
Censorship in the United States
Censorship in the United States involves the suppression of speech or public communication and raises issues of freedom of speech, which is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Interpretation of this fundamental ...
References
External links
NBC-11's report on the murderCBS5's report on the murder ''60 Minutes'' "The Murder of Chauncey Bailey"
The Chauncey Bailey Project- Team investigates Bailey murder & continues his work
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bailey, Chauncey
1949 births
2007 deaths
2007 murders in the United States
African-American history in Oakland, California
African-American journalists
American male journalists
American newspaper editors
Assassinated American journalists
Crimes in Oakland, California
Deaths by firearm in California
Journalists killed in the United States
Murdered African-American people
Male murder victims
Oakland Tribune people
People murdered in California
People murdered by African-American organized crime
San Jose State University alumni
Journalists from Oakland, California
Burials in Alameda County, California
Murder in the San Francisco Bay Area
20th-century African-American people
21st-century African-American people
African-American Catholics