b'BOLD.HONEST.THINKERSOUTH CAROLINA NATIVE USES WRITING TO INSPIRE CHANGEBy Tameka Kenan-Norman Keith Woods, chief diversity officer at NPR(Nationaleventsandproblemsdemandingourattention,the Public Radio) had this, in part, to say about Award- South Carolina native isnt afraid to tackle.However, Winning Journalist Issac Bailey.heunderstandsthatcompletelychangingareaders perspective is a challenge he may not be able to meet. Whatcomesacross,whetherhestalkingaboutIvelearnedlongagothatIwouldsimplybe hisfamily,hisSouthernbeatingmyheadagainst heritage,cloudyraceawallifIfocusedon relations,orunambiguoustryingtochangeother racism, is a genuine searchpeoplesminds.Icant, fortruthandmeaning.acknowledgesBailey.But What the reader gets, andI can provide enough truth thisishisgreatestgift,isand insight that when they an invitation to think. arereadytochangetheir minds, they can base it on WhenIwasresearchingsomething real.Baileyforthisarticle,his writings conjured up manyThe50-year-oldhas thoughtsandmemoriesenough education, training, forme.Oneofthemosttraumaandpersonal forthrightwasmyfatherschallenges,tohaveareal advicetobecarefulaboutgrasp on some of the issues engaginginconversationsaffectingourcommunities regardingpoliticsandandthechangeneededto religionbecausetheycanovercome them. resultinarguments. MyfatheroftenshiedWriting just became a way for me to let my voiceGAINING THE awayfromprofoundbe heard clearly. It gave me an insight into otherKNOW-HOWconversationsaboutrace,Journalistisnotadequate too,atleastoutsideofthepeoples stories and struggles as well. enoughtodescribeIssac confines of his own home.Issac Bailey Bailey,hiswritings,and theexperiencehehas However,Baileyisfromagainedsincegraduating different generation, a stark contrast to what we mayfromDavidsonCollegein1995.Hecurrentlywrites have witnessed from those too timid to talk candidlyfortheCharlotteObserver,NiemanReports,CNN about topics often viewed as provocative.Bailey boldlyand Politico. He has also been published in hundreds takesadeepdiveintoraceandpoliticsinhismanyofotherpublications,includingtheNew York Times, editorials.He touches on religion too.Frankly, anythingTime, and The Washington Post. And before reaching that calls for his honest, black perspective, like currentthenationallandscape,theyoungmanfromSt. 8IMARA'