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What happened to Sandra Bland ? In Memory and Women’s History Month

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Justice for Sandy

“You just slammed my head to the ground. Do you not even care about that?”

These were some of the last words of 28-year-old Sandra Bland. On Friday, Texas State troopers pulled Sandra over as she was driving to her new job for allegedly not using the turn signals during a lane change.1 What happened next was all too familiar and terrifying.

An eye-witness says police ripped Sandra out of the car, violently slammed her on the ground, and arrested her as she screamed for help. Just 72 two hours later, she was dead.2 Police are claiming Sandra took her own life, but her family and friends don’t believe it. Local District Attorney Elton Mathis has already said he has no reason to expect foul play and handed over the investigation to the same police agency that arrested Sandra.

Police cannot police themselves. Urge Attorney General Lynch to thoroughly investigate Sandra’s death and hold all those responsible fully accountable.

DA Mathis said there was no reason for concern, despite the fact that an allegedly routine traffic stopped turned into a violent arrest is itself a cause for concern.3 Sandra’s family says that Sandra would never kill herself and that police seem to be covering up her death.4 We must demand that local officials release all video, information and photographs relating to Sandra’s unjust arrest, imprisonment and death.

The local police department and prosecutor’s office have a long history of racism and corruption. Last year, DA Mathis threatened a local Reverend who spoke out about racist prosecutions, saying he would release his “hounds” on the Reverend.5 Waller County Sheriff Glenn Smith was fired from the police department in Hempstead, Texas for documented cases of racism.5

According to her loved ones, Sandra Bland was a loving, compassionate woman, with a bright future ahead.6 Today would have been the first day at her new job working student outreach at her alma mater, Prairie View A&M University. Loved ones described her as bright, spirited, and having a thirst for life. She was also a vocal advocate against police brutality and often spoke about ending racism and police violence. Our hearts and minds are with her friends and family as they move through this unimaginably hard time.

But in a world where Black people are stereotyped as “violent” and police exist to enforce the boundaries of a deeply divided and racist society, who Sandy was or the life she was creating, did not matter. What mattered was that she was Black, and therefore, in the eyes of the law, didn’t deserve respect, didn’t deserve her civil rights, her freedom or her life. To be Black in America, is to be safe nowhere. Black women are 3 to 4 times more likely to be targeted by police and incarcerated than white women.7

The Department of Justice and Attorney General Lynch have the power and responsibility to address the systemic police violence targeting Black communities. The reality is, racism, corruption and a deep-seated culture of secrecy prevents local and state police from holding themselves accountable. Without independent oversight, police will continue to kill and prosecutors will continue to do nothing. We should not have to demand justice, every time a Black person is murdered, but we will continue to do so until the justice system respects Black lives.

Urge US Attorney General Loretta Lynch to secure justice for Sandy and help end discriminatory police violence targeting Black people in Texas.

Thanks and peace,

— Rashad, Arisha, Shani, Lyla and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
July 16th, 2015

References,https://justanother2cents.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=91304&action=trash&_wpnonce=5a36e5f072

1. “Sandra Bland Drove to Texas to Start a New Job, so How Did She End Up Dead in Jail?”, 07-16-15
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5001?t=5&akid=4541.1174326.9WpvtL?

2. “Family says woman found dead in jail cell would not kill herself; Texas Rangers investigating”, 07-16-15
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5002?t=7&akid=4541.1174326.9WpvtL

3. See reference 2.

4. See reference 2.

5. “Pastor says Waller DA threatened him”, 06-03-14
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5003?t=9&akid=4541.1174326.9WpvtL

6. “The Texas Sheriff Where Sandra Bland Died Was Previously Suspended for Racism”, 07-16-15
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5004?t=11&akid=4541.1174326.9WpvtL

7. “Incarcerated Women”, The Sentencing Project 08-2015
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5005?t=13&akid=4541.1174326.9WpvtL

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July 12, 1976 | Barbara Jordan Delivers The Keynote Address At The Democratic National Convention


Barbara Jordan

Congresswoman Barbara Jordan Delivers The Keynote Address At The 1976 Democratic ConventionOn July 12, 1976,  Barbara Jordan became the first African American to deliver a Keynote Address at the Democratic National Convention. Jordan also gave a keynote address at the 1992 Democratic Convention.  

Congresswoman Barbara Charline Jordan was the first African American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives from the south in 1972.  Prior to entering national politics, in 1966 Jordan became the first African American elected to the Texas Senate since reconstruction.  Jordan became a professor at the University of Texas at Austin after leaving politics in 1979.  She also served as Chairperson of the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform from 1994 until 1996.

 Jordan was born on February 21, 1936 in Houston, Texas and died on January 17, 1996 in Austin, Texas at age 59.

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1905 Members of the Niagara Movement meet for the first time


Niagara Movement members begin meeting on the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls. This all-African American group of scholars, lawyers and businessmen came together for three days to create what would soon become a powerful post-slavery Black rights organization. Although it only lasted five years, the Niagara Movement was an influential precursor to the mid-20th century civil rights movement.

For the complete article, go to.. history.com

Article Title

Members of the Niagara Movement meet for the first time

AuthorHistory.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/members-of-the-niagara-movement-meet-for-first-time

Access Date

July 10, 2022

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 21, 2021

Original Published Date

July 8, 2020

BLACK HISTORY

BY

 HISTORY.COM EDITORS

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Discrimination Beyond Marriage


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Despite Victory At The Supreme Court, Discrimination Remains Beyond Marriage

It has been less than two weeks since the Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, granting same-sex couples the freedom to marry nationwide. But despite our progress on marriage equality, LGBT discrimination persists. In 28 states, same-sex couples can now be legally married one day, and then legally fired from their jobs, evicted from their homes, denied credit, or refused services or goods simply because of their sexual orientation. Similarly 31 states lack explicit protections from discrimination based on gender identity in employment, housing, credit and public accommodations. Check out this infographic below for more details. To find out more about the need for nationwide, explicit protections from discrimination for LGBT Americans, check out the infographic below and this report from the Center for American Progress.

BOTTOM LINE: The Court’s decision was a huge step forward for LGBT rights, but the fight is not over. All Americans deserve the opportunity to live free from fear of discrimination.

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