City of Prairie View votes to rename street after Sandra Bland

Geneva Reed-Veal, center, of Chicago, mother of Sandra Bland, reacts after Prairie View City Council members voted to rename a portion of University Boulevard to Sandra Bland Parkway on Tuesday. Geneva Reed-Veal, center, of Chicago, mother of Sandra Bland, reacts after Prairie View City Council members voted to rename a portion of University Boulevard to Sandra Bland Parkway on Tuesday. Photo: Gary Coronado, Houston Chronicle Photo: Gary Coronado, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 50 Caption Close City of Prairie View votes to rename street after Sandra Bland 1 / 50 Back to Gallery

PRAIRIE VIEW — The City Council voted Tuesday to rename a road that leads to Prairie View A&M University after Sandra Bland, the woman whose suicide in a county jail cell after being pulled over for an improper lane change sparked international protests.

The council in the predominantly black city approved a resolution to rename University Boulevard to "Sandra Bland Parkway," the same roadway where she was stopped last month

"I want her name to always be spoken because she's still speaking so I just ask that you all do us right today," Bland's mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, said.

"This is her legacy," Reed-Veal told the meeting. "It's more than a vote: it's a legacy."

Bland, 28, a graduate of Prairie View who had come back after accepting a new job at her alma mater, was found dead on July 13. Her death was ruled a suicide by Harris County medical examiners but renewed a debate over how law enforcement treats minorities.

The death of Bland, who was black, came three days after she was pulled over by Texas Department of Public Safety trooper Brian Encinia in Prairie View for making an illegal lane change.

RELATED: Dozens protest outside Katy home of state trooper

The council voted to make the roadway change for three to five years or until a monument to Bland can be built in a city park.

Before the council action, dozens of voices rose and fell in harmony in the sweltering City Council chambers, as the dozens gathered in the tiny room sang songs and hymns and clapped together.

RELATED: Waller DA releases more jail footage, medication details in Sandra Bland case

The crowd was a diverse mix of residents, organizers from across the region and Prairie View A&M students.

Bland's mother and sisters sat in the front rows, hugging and shaking hands with other attendees.

Leah Binkovitz contributed to this report.