Why the Chauncey Bailey Project and the Black Chauncey Bailey Project

Martin Reynolds,
Editor, Oakland
Tribune















Oakland Post Publisher Paul Cobb suggested
the Chauncey Bailey Project and later the
Black Chauncey Bailey Project.

















Why the Chauncey Bailey Project and the Black Chauncey Bailey Project?
















Oakland Post writer Marvin X
holds award presented to the
Oakland Post by the Chauncey
Bailey Project. Marvin is organizer
of the Black Chauncey Bailey and editor
of the forthcoming anthology on Bailey.



photo Gene Hazzard







At lunch today, Oakland Tribune Editor Martin Reynolds asked Marvin X why the Black Chauncey Bailey Project? After all, the Chauncey Bailey Project is a consortium of journalists from many ethnic and gender groups. So why do you attack the Chauncey Bailey Project so vociferiously? You also attack the Oakland Police for conspiring to kill Chauncey Bailey, and yet you seem to excuse the Bakery boys for the cold blooded murder of Chauncey.



Marvin X replied that the entire matter was very emotional for him, after all, his friends are charged with murdering another friend, thus it is a case of being caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

And yet, as I sat in the courtroom looking at the defendents, it was clear to me these are children, similar to the children in the serious crimes unit at Alameda Country Juvenile Hall he visited recently; similar to the baby faced killers he addressed at New York's Riker's Island Juvenile Prison.


But the suspects were mentored by a member of the Oakland Police Department, so why wouldn't I also focus on the OPD's possible role in the assassination? There is no doubt Officer Longmire had a profound influence on the young men accused of murdering Chauncey, to the degree they believed they could get away with murder.

Editor Reynolds said he knows Officer Longmire, has met members of his family and thinks he is a fine gentleman. Marvin X wondered to himself whether it was possible the Chauncey Bailey Project was not pursuing the police connection because of its friendship with the OPD.


After all, it was Oakland Post Publisher Paul Cobb who called for the Chauncey Bailey Project after the funeral of his editor. But he said at a meeting with journalists forming the project, they resisted his notion of police involvement, especially OPD embedded writer Harry Harris. Paul Cobb suspects Harris is simply a plant in the CBP representing the OPD. It was at this point Paul distanced himself from the CBP. He is now calling for an accounting of all funds garnered by the CBP, i.e., advertising dollars, grants, fellowships, etc.


He found it ironic that he was presented with a plaque for contributing to the Chauncey Bailey Project. (Marvin X holds the plaque in the above photo by Gene Hazzard) For sure the CBP has been reluctant to pursue the role of police in the murder of Cobb's editor. Although Tribune Editor Renyolds said Chauncey was no Bob Woodward, Marvin X says Chauncey was indeed acting on information that the OPD was shaking down drug dealers, planting false evidence, money laundering and possible homicides under the color of law.

Mothers at Allen Temple Baptist Church called Chauncey to help them intervene with the OPD to stop shaking down their drug dealing children then releasing them, causing them to face the wrath of dope dealers who would not believe their children were relieved of their money, dope and jewelry, then let go.


Martin Reynolds assured Marvin X if presented evidence, the Oakland Tribune would aggressively pursue the lead, but he doesn't have the community contacts it takes to gather the necessary information. He faulted himself for not having a community writer similar to Chauncey Bailey.


Marvin told Martin he would be surprised at the things people tell him at his Academy of da Corner, 14th and Broadway, the crossroads of Oakland. But he questioned the Tribune editor on why the CBP has been hesitant to go down the road to truth Chauncey was on.

Is it lack of evidence, community contacts or simple fear, and yet Chauncey gave his life because of his fearlessness in pursuit of truth. Herein may lie the real and only difference between the Chauncey Bailey Project and the Black Chauncey Bailey Project.
--Marvin X

4/20/11