More than a month after Sandra Bland died in a Texas jail, a city is naming the street on which Bland was arrested after her. Bland, 28, was found dead in her cell on July 13; her mother and other supporters were present for Tuesday night's Prairie View City Council vote.
From Houston Public Media, Syeda Hasan reports for our Newscast unit:
"The city council voted to rename a street leading to Prairie View A&M University as Sandy Bland Parkway. The university is Bland's alma mater, and she was set to begin a job there when she was arrested following a traffic stop.
"Activist Denise Mattox says the street will honor Bland's memory in a community that's been shocked by her death, 'and maybe because we are remembering every day, with every citation written, every time we turn down this road, we're remembering what can happen if we don't do things correctly.'"
"Councilmembers also plan to build a park named after Bland."
Earlier this month, the family of Sandra Bland filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against individuals and agencies that were involved with her arrest and incarceration.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.