It’s almost a year since Oakland Post editor Chauncey Bailey was assassinated on his way to work in Oakland. Today I did an hour-long special on the ongoing murder investigation on KPFA. Our discussion focused on the fact that just a few weeks ago, reporters with the Chauncey Bailey Project revealed a police video that seemed to suggest that Yusuf Bey IV had knowledge or involvement in Chauncey’s murder. So why isn’t the DA expanding the investigation? For one, the head investigator with the Oakland Police Department has a prior friendship with Bey. But that’s just the start of it. Listen to the latest on the KPFA Morning Show with guests Robert Rosenthal, Bob Butler and Thomas Peele.

Chauncey Bailey – iconoclastic, caring, involved – was working on two stories when he was murdered. One was on the misdeeds of Your Black Muslim Bakery and the other was corruption in the police department. Those stories cannot die, because Chancey’s life meant more than that. In fact, the last time I saw him was at my house, when I was holding a large event for the organization Silence the Violence (that is trying to cure the street violence that is tearing Oakland apart). I was in Mexico studying Spanish when I got the email that he’d been killed – and fell to the floor of the computer room with shock. Thanks to a small group of local investigative reporters, the story continues and pressure is mounting to continue the investigation. So, my small contribution is to have the story on my show on KPFA.

On my way out of the studio this morning, the reporters commented to me that many news outlets aren’t continuing to cover this investigation. They thought maybe racism has gotten in the way of the story getting out. Well, let’s all stay on this.

For Chauncey.