The African National Women’s Organization supports every effort to find out what happened to Sandra Bland.  We do not believe that she committed suicide in jail when there was every indication that she was not suicidal. She just moved from Illinois to Texas to start new job, she had a community of people who supported her and her bond was only $500.  

On June 13th Bland was pulled over by police because she had not signaled a lane change. After what the police called a struggle, she was arrested and brought to jail. Three days later she was found hanging in her cell. A police autopsy determined that she died from apparent suicide.

We know that in the U.S.  African people are murdered by police every 26 hours. We also know that the police are an arm of the colonial state whose objective is to suppress black resistance.   Bland had been very vocal about police violence against Africans in the United States, in videos that she posted to her facebook wall .

Since the founding of the illegitimate colonial state of America, African people have been under attack. The police and the average white citizen have been deputized to work on behalf of imperialism/white power to suppress the African community within the colonial borders of the United States, to maintain the status quo.

We understand that the violence and murder that is being carried out by the State are a part of this ongoing effort to control the righteous resistance of African people, to scare us into submission. We say we will not return to a place of despondency and inaction. The time is now to act in our own interest and defend our right to live and be free.

We do not believe the results when the police “investigate” themselves. Sandra Bland is not the first African to die in police custody and she will not be the last. That is why we join the growing call for Black Community Control of the Police - sign the petition.   Register for the Black Power Matters Conference  August 22-23rd in Philadelphia, PA.

Here’s what you can do now to show African solidarity for Sandra Bland: (Script developed by Kristen Butler)

Hi, my name is ______ and I am calling in regards to the Sandra Bland case. I have some questions on how this case has been handled and the investigation that is currently under way. After these questions are addressed I would then like to be transferred to the Waller County Prison so that I can ask them some additional questions.

***Questions for the Waller County Police Department (+1 979-826-8282)

1. What witnesses or proof do we have to the fact that Bland became “argumentative” and “uncooperative” during the stop other than the voice of these officers? And how does that cause her to go from being in her car to being on the ground with an officer’s knee to her neck and with her head and arm in agonizing pain, which she verbalized several times in the video circulating online?

2. There is a video online showing a witness stepping in from the time that Sandra was being held down on the ground. Why is it that an officer from this department told that witness to “leave” and “get out of here”? It is not against the law to record officers. Why is it that this officer expected this witness to go against their right to record police activity? Doesn’t this disrupt the so-called “transparency” that is supposed to exist among police?

3. Exactly what physical proof from the autopsy do we have at this time that suggests that her death may have been a suicide?

***Questions for the Waller County Jail:

1. Why is it that Sandra was denied medical care while in prison after verbalizing her pain and making it known that she believed her arm was broken? How would she have even managed to kill herself when she was so badly in pain and injured?

2. It is known that Sandra had essentially found all of her bail money and would be set to be released soon. It is also known that she had employment waiting for her pending her release. Being that her situation was looking extremely optimistic, was there any legit indication of Sandra being suicidal while being held? According to an article on Chron.com, there apparently were potential signs of depression during her initial mental health screening. I am in no way insinuating that this may have in fact been a suicide, but why is it that she was she not being watched accordingly based on these signs?

3. It is also known that the Texas Commission on Jail Standards Executive Director Brandon Wood said his agency found Waller County jail to be non-compliant with the two areas of the state's minimum jail standards - one with staff training and one with observation of inmates. Inmates are required to be observed at least once every 60 minutes and the Waller County Jail did not perform that observation as required. In addition, it has also been found that the commission faulted the jail in 2012 for not performing these checks required by law. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. WHAT IS GOING TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS??

***Questions for the Texas Department of Public Safety (ask to be transferred but if they cannot transfer you then the number is +1 512-424-2000)

1. Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis told ABC 7 that her self-diagnosis with depression on Facebook is something they are going to “look into” as a motive for suicide. This is obviously not a professional diagnosis, so why is this relevant? How are they possibly going to be able to look into that? In addition depression does not automatically mean that one is suicidal as well. Why is this casual video being considered as criterion for anything?

2. It is known that in a preliminary review of this incident, the Texas Department of Public Safety identified violations of the department's procedures regarding traffic stops and the department’s courtesy policy. Exactly which procedures were violated? Can you explain what your courtesy policy is to me and how it was violated based on your findings so far?

3. It is said that the trooper involved in this case has been placed on administrative duties “pending the outcome of further investigations”. My question is that even if this death was a suicide, what happens to this officer other than him being demoted to administrative duties? What does whether something is a suicide or not have to do with the fact that he violated serious policies? How is this office going to deal with the fact that because this officer was in violation of these policies, a young woman was traumatized due to being treated too harshly for a traffic violation, which may have POSSIBLY lead her to commit suicide? AGAIN, WHAT IS GOING TO BE DONE?

4. Also, most importantly, what are we going to do about the conflict of interest within the Rangers who are investigating this case since the texas rangers are composed entirely of former state troopers?? This is not giving the public any confidence at all that this investigation is being carried out appropriately.