Sandra Bland shouldn’t be dead. No mother should have to fear a loved one is harmed at the hands of those charged with protection. The pattern of racial profiling and police brutality in our nation must end.

*Join us in calling for Attorney General Lynch to investigate the death of Sandra Bland and to prosecute those who played a role in her death: http://action.momsrising.org/sign/justice-sandra-bland/

Here’s a summary of what happened to Sandra Bland according to the police transcript: On Friday, July 10, Sandra Bland, a Black woman, was driving on her way to start her new life working in student outreach at her alma mater, Prairie View A&M University. As Sandra was driving, a police vehicle sped up behind her car, so Sandra quickly moved over to get out of the way, and then she was promptly pulled over for failing to use a turn signal.

The officer quickly escalated the situation, telling Sandra, “I’m going to light you up!”. Then, according to witness testimony and a video recording, Sandra, was asked to step out of her car and was then slammed down on the ground by the arresting officer. Sandra can be heard on the video saying, “You just slammed my head to the ground. Do you not even care about that?” Face down on the ground with police officers surrounding her, Sandra was clearly not moving in the video. Police then charged her with assault against them and booked her in the county jail. Less than 72 hours later, Sandra was found dead. Her friends and family have come forward and argued that she did not commit suicide, despite police claims otherwise.

Legal and film experts, and journalists alike, are standing up for Sandra Bland and asking questions of the police department that they should be able to easily answer, but can’t. Questions like: Was the police video purposefully edited since the video loops in several sections while the audio remains stable? Why were so many police protocols broken? What really happened to Sandra Bland?

What we do know is very concerning. 

*Urge Attorney General Lynch to investigate the death of Sandra Bland and prosecute those who played a part in her death. The Obama administration must also advance policies to ensure that all deaths in police custody are independently investigated and enact police reforms to end racial profiling and police brutality: http://action.momsrising.org/sign/justice-sandra-bland/

Over the last few months, more and more Americans have become aware of the ways in which the police racially profile, assault, or even kill Black men and women at significantly higher rates than White people. For instance, studies show that "even though white Americans outnumber black Americans fivefold, black people are three times more likely than white people to be killed when they encounter the police in the US.” Further, it was recently reported that African American male teens are 21 times more likely to be killed by police than White teens. In addition, studies also show that police stop, ticket, arrest, and incarcerate African Americans and Latinos at disproportionate rates.

Black women are three to four times more likely to be targeted by police and incarcerated than White women.

It’s long past time for this discrimination to end. No one, no mother and no father, should ever have to fear that a loved one could be harmed or killed at the hands of those we charge with protection.

Together we are a powerful force to build a better America for us all.