SANDRA BLAND
Sandra Annette Bland was one of five sisters. Raised by a single mother, she grew up in Naperville, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, and attended Willowbrook High School. She went on to attend Prairie View A&M University in Texas, where she earned a degree in agriculture.
During her time at Prairie View A&M, she was a summer counselor, played in the marching band, and was a volunteer for a senior citizens advocacy group. She played the trombone.
After college, Sandra returned to Chicago and worked for a food-service equipment supply company, and began to become involved in civil rights and the Black Lives Matter movement.
1987 - 2015
Sandra posted videos under her personal account on varying subjects - among them the mistreatment and police violence perpetrated against people of color.
In 2015, Sandra accepted a position at her Alma Mater, Prairie View A&M, and returned to Texas to begin her new job. She would never get to begin her new role.
Sandra 'died in police custody' in 2015.
"In the news that we've seen as of late, you could stand there, surrender to the cops, and still be killed.”
- Sandra Bland, in a blog post
Source: Wikimedia // New York Times // blackpast
