News

Chauncey Bailey: We Heartily Knew You

Published

7 years ago

August 2, 2017

Ten years ago on Aug. 2, 2007, Chauncey Bailey, our indefatigable and prolific editor, was shot down and killed in the early morning in front of a child care center located at 14th and Alice Streets in downtown Oakland. Some of those involved with the killing are now in prison.

He was shot while walking to work from his apartment near Lake Merritt. I was also walking to work from my home toward Chauncey at the same hour to meet with him in our offices at 14th and Franklin streets.

We were scheduled to discuss his series of articles on the Oakland Police Department after the head of the Oakland Police Officers Association had called to tell him to stop investigating officers’ overtime pay and the report of their conduct towards youth.

Even though the city and the Post staff lost its courageous editor over an article we never published, we have since remained steadfastly committed to his unabashedly straightforward investigative style while questioning the need for more transparency in government. His reputation and accomplishments also inspired many to pursue journalism at the Post/El Mundo and elsewhere.

Oakland, Calif. police work at the scene where Oakland Post editor Chauncey Bailey was shot dead by an unknown assailant at the corner of 14th and Alice streets in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, August 2, 2007. (D. Ross Cameron/The Oakland Tribune)

Chauncey gave us all a sense of youthful exuberance because he was forever conscious and an unapologetic advocate for the needs, conditions, problems and successes of the Black community. Accordingly, we, after 10 years, are finally starting to catch up with his comprehensive ability to write, video and broadcast the news.

Every day we talk, think or try to heartily act like the Chauncey we knew. When we are rebuffed or stiffed by public officials while seeking the facts and the truth, we often ask ourselves, out loud, “What would Chauncey wholeheartedly do?”

The pulse of his soul beats on.

Oakland Post

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

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California Black Media

Yahushua’s Law: Senate Advances Bill to Protect Students from Extreme Weather

In a significant move towards student safety, the California Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 1248, also known as Yahushua’s Law, on April 3. The bill is named in memory of Yahushua Robinson, a 12-year-old student from Lake Elsinore, who tragically died due to a heat-related illness during a physical education class in 2023. It is a pioneering effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Published

1 week ago

April 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Yahushua Nyerere Robinson (Courtesy Photo)

By California Black Media

In a significant move towards student safety, the California Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 1248, also known as Yahushua’s Law, on April 3.

The bill is named in memory of Yahushua Robinson, a 12-year-old student from Lake Elsinore, who tragically died due to a heat-related illness during a physical education class in 2023. It is a pioneering effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Authored by Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) and co-authored by Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D. (D-La Mesa), SB 1248 directs the California Department of Education to develop comprehensive guidelines for schools regarding student activity during all extreme weather conditions.

“No student should ever lose their life on campus to extreme weather when we can take steps to protect them by preparing statewide plans to minimize exposure to the most harmful elements of exposure,” Hurtado said after introducing SB 1248.

The bill stipulates that schools must implement safety measures which include monitoring weather forecasts, postponing or relocating outdoor activities during hazardous conditions, and ensuring students have proper hydration and access to shade. It also requires schools to establish clear communication plans to keep parents, teachers, and students informed about potential weather hazards.

Supporters of the bill include the Robinson family, advocate Christina Laster, Bold Enterprises LLC, California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute, Familias Empoderadas del Valle Central National Action Network, The Black Student Advocate, and the Ventura County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Thanking Hurtado for introducing this crucial legislation, Weber said, “The story of Yahushua Robinson last year was heartbreaking. We have protections for farm workers and other industries in the case of extreme weather, now climate change is forcing us to also extend similar protections to students at school.”