We Are Sandra

On July 22nd, 9:17pm, I was driving back home from a girlfriend’s house in Brockton, we were both sharing our views on Sandra’s death. Obviously, like many we were angry; infuriated by the lack of justice people of color are receiving. Anger was the tone throughout the days following Sandra’s death, but what made this night different, was how I felt being seconds away from my home.

Before turning left on to Glenwood, blue sirens torched through the sky. My heart dropped and I quickly turned to Park Street. The sirens then faded blocks away. I froze and for 10 embarrassing minutes I cried so still, especially in disbelief of the fear I just experienced. I allowed myself to accept that what I am feeling is not new. For millions of Black women this fear of unjust aggressive treatment by those we call on to protect and serve us, is nothing new. The mistreatment and misuse of force has in fact, become all too familiar. What I found new that day was the unconscious fear that lived in me and to think anyone like me could have been Sandra. I felt her pain, her anger and most of all; her fears even by the sound of sirens.

I’m a 23 year old woman of faith, who is an activist, a daughter, a sister and a friend. And that moment when fear flushed through my entire body, I felt like none of that mattered. See in the case of Sandra what we shouldn’t forget was that she was someone. She was someone’s daughter, sister and friend. This could’ve been anyone, who may have found themselves at an everyday routine traffic stop. Yet, that’s not the matter being disputed, the real worrisome comes in how many times is someone violated and threatened for something as simple as not using traffic blinkers?

Carlha Toussaint Brockton Organizer on behalf of the Coalition for Social Justice

The Coalition for Social Justice would like to share our condolences to the family of Sandra Bland and to all those in need of Justice. We agree with Carlha that sadly, these acts of unjust racial profiling have become all too familiar and common. We will work closely with our Black Lives Matter chapter to fight the good fight- until all of our neighbors are treated and seen equally under the law and the institutions designed to protect and serve us. #BlackLivesMatter