Sunday, August 05, 2007  Rest in Peace: Chauncey Bailey  I and
many other Oaklanders and supporters of the Black press are
still reeling from the recent murder of Chauncey Bailey, a well-
respected community journalist, last week.  The themes that this
tragic incident bring up for me are, again, literacy and the
power of writing to shake loose entrenched power structures, to
speak truth to power. My experiences over the past few months
seem to be pointing me in the direction of taking my writing to
the next level, and Chauncey's death and my feelings about it
are just another sign that I need to pursue my writing more
seriously. His death has affirmed for me that writing can be one
of the most powerful acts in the world.  I didn't know Mr.
Bailey, had never even heard of him before his death this past
week. But as I walked to work the other day, I encountered his
spirit in the palpable emotion and heaviness I felt when I
walked by the police barricades near Alice and 14th Streets in
downtown Oakland. I asked a