Prairie View, Texas council votes to rename road in Sandra Bland's memory
"It's more than a vote," says Bland's mother. "It's her legacy."
The city council in Prairie View, Texas has voted to rename University Drive to Sandy Bland Parkway. It is the street that leads to Sandra Bland's alma mater, Prairie View A&M University. It's also the street on which she was arrested, during a traffic stop. Bland killed herself in her jail cell three days later. Her death sparked an international outcry about the circumstances that led up to her death.
Bland's mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, was at the city council meeting when they considered the motion on Tuesday night. She addressed the chamber, saying, "No street renaming is going to bring my baby back. But for those who can't stand a black face, a black name . . . they should have to say her name every time they exit the road."
As It Happens guest host Helen Mann spoke to Prairie View Mayor Frank Jackson about the street renaming.
"Miss Bland's passing has opened up a whole new frontier for us to step into and really try and make some meaningful changes, especially to the criminal justice system," he says. "Looking at prison reform, looking at mental health standards."
Jackson says that some in the community think that, thanks to the renaming, the police "when they write tickets, they're going to think about that and maybe think twice before they let something spiral out of control, just mentioning her name."