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In the NoCo

'This is my why:' Candice Bailey on Elijah McClain and her ongoing fight for racial justice

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Activist Candice Bailey felt "gutted on so many levels" after jurors delivered a split verdict for two Aurora officers charged with the death of Elijah McClain. She told In The NoCo why she keeps fighting for racial justice.

Much of what we understand about Elijah McClain — who died in 2019 after a violent encounter with Aurora police — is thanks in large part to people like Candice Bailey. The Aurora activist led many of the protests that introduced Coloradans to McClain, a 23-year-old Black man described by friends and family as gentle, creative and a free spirit.

Her work helped people honor McClain’s life and examine the practices of Aurora police and paramedics that led to his death. That advocacy has come at a personal cost, but she remains undaunted: "It will take all of us to make the changes that we seek. But it will take one of us just to have the courage to step forward and tell someone what we are actually seeking," she told In The NoCo.

As the five police and paramedics charged with McClain's death face trial, Bailey has been watching closely. She is working to involve federal agencies and advocates in what she says is a “miscarriage of justice” in these cases.

She sat down with In The NoCo shortly after jurors reached a split verdict for two of the officers who had faced charges.

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.