Sandra Bland’s death sparks provocative social media campaign

Sandra Bland’s death sparks provocative social media campaign
Sandra Bland’s death sparks provocative social media campaign

Sandra Bland’s death sparks provocative social media campaign

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The story of Sandra Bland continues to unfold…bringing more questions than answers. The African American woman from Naperville was pulled over for a minor traffic violation in a small Texas town, arrested and later found dead in her cell. The initial finding was that she hung herself but the investigation has widened and it’s now being treated as a murder case. Bland’s death is the latest in a string of African American deaths either in police custody or in confrontation with law enforcement. Almost immediately after news of Bland’s death broke, the hashtag #IfIDieInPoliceCustody took off on social media. According to the news website Color Lines, the hashtag exposes the truth and fear surrounding the interactions of black people and the police in America. Along with the hashtag, the Black Lives Matter movement and the black press have been closely following the story — some argue more than other more mainstream press outlets. Jeffrey L. Boney is Associate Editor for the Houston Forward Times and a talk show host for 1230 AM KCOH in Houston and Jamilah Lemieux is a Senior Editor at Ebony.com. They join us to discuss the media’s coverage and the latest with the investigation. (Sandra Bland)