This past Saturday was the celebration of life for Sandra (“Sandy”) Bland at DuPage AME Church in Lisle, Illinois. Many have heard of her story, as it has gained international attention. This 28-year old Black woman traveled down to Texas to interview for a new job at her alma mater, Prairie View A&M University. She got the job and was ready to begin a new life. However, after a routine traffic stop on July 10, she ended up in jail. Dashcam video footage was released that shows what took place on that day. Texas State Trooper Brian Encinia supposedly pulled Sandy over for not signaling a turn. In the video, Bland states that she only changed lanes because Encinia was tailing her.

After watching the footage, it is evident that Encinia allowed this traffic stop to escalate into a point of no return. As a professional, he should not have lost his cool or control of the situation. Nonetheless, a traffic stop over a turn signal ended with a young Black woman dead in Waller County jail while in police custody. The Waller County, Texas prosecutor has concluded that it was a suicide, but many family, friends, and supporters question this claim. While there are new details to the story that are released each day, as well as conspiracy theories and rumors floating around on the internet, this post will reflect on what Sandy’s family and friends shared at her funeral.





Why I Went

Raquel and I have been following the story since first seeing the eyewitness video of her during the middle of the traffic stop. Over the last 2 weeks we have talked about what happened and discussed this woman’s life. With us being Black women from Illinois, who both began our higher education journeys at southern Black schools, there is a sense of connectedness to this story that has haunted us since learning about it.

On Friday, I was overcome with this feeling to be there to say goodbye to Sandy. No, I didn’t know her, nor did I know any of her family members or friends. I didn’t know who Sandy was until I heard about her dying in jail. However, something told me to be there. The next morning, on Saturday, I took a 35-minute drive to the Chicago west suburb of Lisle to be there. I had no idea how crowded it would be. When I entered the side parking lot, located across the street from the church, the parking attendant said, “You are the last vehicle for this lot.” This was my confirmation that I needed to be here.

It was a beautiful, sunny and warm day, as if God was smiling down at her family and friends, providing a sense of warmth and peace. There were hundreds of people there, many traveling from across the country to celebrate Sandy’s life. The mood was upbeat and positive, as a packed congregation jammed with the choir, in the church that Sandy grew up in and still worshiped and served as an adult. Her mother noted that many of the music selections were gospel songs that the two of them listened to during their recent road trip, exactly 3 weeks ago.

Who Was Sandy?

What struck me on this day was the way in which her loved ones described her: outspoken, bold, loving, passionate, etc. It was an emotional moment for me when her Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. line sisters spoke about the bond that they shared with Sandy from college through today, and how she would be dearly missed. The president of Prairie View A&M, Dr. George C. Wright, even traveled to Illinois for the services. Sandy had received a marching band scholarship at Prairie View A&M, to play the trombone. Wright noted that she graduated in 4 years, despite being a part of this very demanding and competitive music group.

During the family reflections, one of the ministers shared that he had met with Sandy over a month ago to discuss #SandySpeaks. He said during their meeting, she pulled out an incredibly thick binder of research that she had compiled around some of the social injustices that were happening in our country. She told him how she wanted to make a difference through activism, which had already begun with actions such as a social media video series, where she brought awareness to various issues and causes.

The last person to speak at the service was Sandy’s mom, Geneva Reed-Veal. She shared candid information about their relationship and her daughter’s future goals. Below recaps a few (paraphrased) snippets:

During their recent road trip, they had a long talk. Sandy spoke about her entire life journey. Sandy and her mom apologized to one another for various moments that needed some healing.



On this same road trip, Sandy declared her purpose. She stated that she knew her mission was to move back down to Texas and stop all the injustices in the South.

After Sandy returned home from the road trip she received news that she got the interview. She drove down to Texas and later told her mom that she rocked the interview and received the job.

Not only did Sandy have 1 job offer, she actually had 2. The second job offer was with a reputable title company in Illinois, who never would have hired her, if she were the criminal that the media has characterized her to be.

While many people and organizations have various agendas, her mom doesn’t want to see violence in Sandy’s name or for people to lose sight of Sandy’s purpose. Instead, she asked that supporters contact politicians to make a difference and also suggested that the road where Sandy was stopped be renamed in her honor.

Her mom doesn’t believe that Sandy committed suicide. As a mother, she knew her daughter and what she believed. However, if it is proven that she indeed did commit suicide, she is willing to accept this truth.

Click here to view Twitter highlights from Sandy’s celebration of life.

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What I Think



The fact that Sandy was arrested and ended up dead is disturbing. An officer’s power trip and inability to remain professional during a routine traffic stop is not cool. Being that this happened in a small town with a history of racial tension and unfairness—which includes the long battle for voting rights for the students of Prairie View A&M University—only adds to the heavy weight of distrust. Additionally, “framed” suicides of Black inmates in jail is common knowledge, as this has happened in the past.

Regardless, if Sandy died by suicide or was murdered, we must question all the incidents that led up to that moment.

In conclusion, I feel such a sense of peace after attending Sandy’s celebration of life. I believe as her family that she knew her purpose in life was to be an activist. As mysterious and strange as this whole ordeal has been, it seems that Sandy was right. It was meant for her to return to Texas and expose racism in the South…in America. In death, she has mobilized many to take action and reconsider the way that people of color are impacted by our justice system.

Rest in power, Sandy!