Waller County Sheriff's Office, Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for Samsung, Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Larry Busacca/Getty Images for NARASSandra Bland has become a rallying cry.
Her death on July 13 in a Texas jail cell, which today was ruled a suicide by hanging, prompted a mass outcry on social media against what appeared to some to be the tragic result of another instance of racially charged police aggression.
There have been demands for a thorough investigation into every aspect of her July 10 arrest and everything that happened from the moment she was detained, from whether the traffic stop itself was legal or not (she was arrested for allegedly assaulting a state trooper) to whether she suffered any injuries at the hands of police and how she was treated once in custody.
Even when dash cam footage taken from the trooper's vehicle was released, there was immediate speculation that it had been altered in some way due to what looked like blips in the footage. (Officials have denied that the footage was edited and attributed the glitches to uploading issues.)
Booking records state that Bland told officers at the jail, during a routine questionnaire given to incoming inmates, that she had previously attempted suicide by taking pills because she had lost a baby; documents also state that Bland did not seem sad, confused, preoccupied or paranoid during the interview. Friends and family have told the media, meanwhile, that the 28-year-old was upbeat about the future.
Of course the Twitterverse has been following the case closely and many celebs have joined the conversation.
Grey's Anatomy actor Jesse Williams vented at length yesterday about the case, including during the course of dozens of tweets on the subject a list of instances in which white people ran into issues with police and did not end up dead.
"Some thoughts on #SandraBland & millions of Americans exhausted by paid servants destroying instead of defending lives. And those reflexively parroting weak slogans; squealing for violence & murder from behind a centuries-old wall of perfectly visible privilege," read the first two of 24 tweets Williams wrote (and numbered) inspired by Bland.
He continued: "This country is FULL of Americans who actively exercise their rights when given unlawful, unclear orders by police. Refusing to roll down windows, present ID, hand over assault rifles, answer ANY questions, etc. THEY are lauded as heroes; patriots. Message boards swell w/ Police being ridiculed & laughed at by this Patriot-Class of Americans.
Without fail, when select Americans excercise their rights, message boards FILL w praise for the resisting citizen & mockery of police. An entire political party [re]constructed loudly claiming to RESIST "gov't tyranny" while actively CELEBRATING [certain] gov't tyranny! A select segment of Americans are granted the privilege of being able to resist said tyranny, scream at it, punch, shove or elude it. For membership consideration, this club has ONE requirement: the citizen(s) resisting police/the law/status quo must be white.
Every time the story involves a black citizen, doing far less, presumed guilt BEGINS as their's to shed. But one cannot shed blackness. Blackness turns "awesome!" or "badass!" to "thug" "nigger" faster than a speeding bullet. Whiteness turns villain to hero in a flash. As we well know, police are not THE law. They swear to UPHOLD & ENFORCE the law in a professional, courteous manner, whenever possible. Otherwise, whenever we had a problem, we'd just call our friends, local gangs or the mob to handle problems. The mob, gangs and citizens can be prosecuted though.
Should there should be a discernible difference b/t thugs & police? You can't arrest someone for "resisting arrest." That's bullshit. Clearly state the charge & when resisted, that's an additional charge. WE DO NOT BEGIN AS POLICE PROPERTY, to be freed or detained based on some guy's mood or feeling. We are not theirs. Police weapons & cuffs do not dissolve if we don't like their attitude. Our rights should remain intact if they're displeased w/ ours. SandraBland's treatment while attempting to travel freely on HER public roadways has been acknowledged as unlawful. She is already dead. Blackness is born to be w/ 2.9 strikes. A life that can & will be snatched by it's nation at any time, any place. Any age, any gender. Those who relentlessly excuse all anti-black state violence cheerlead when people born of their same complexion resist cops & presidents. What follows is an easily searchable sampling of the glaring daily white privilege not afforded to millions of Americans who's lives are forever damaged or destroyed, while millions cheer and/or avert their gaze: Before we begin, please list ALL infractions punishable by spontaneous murder at the hands of any police or white citizen. #ShowYourWork."
And Williams wasn't alone. See more tweets from celebs who want to make sure the truth comes out: