Last week, the WNBA honored the life of Sandra Bland.
Sandra Bland was a 28-year-old woman living in Prairie View, Texas. She was less than a month away from starting her new job at Prairie View A&M University. On July 10, 2015, Bland was pulled over for a routine traffic stop, then assaulted and arrested by the police officer. Three days later, she was found dead in her jail cell.
Bland’s case gained national attention after the dash cam footage of her arrest was released. You can watch that footage here.
Bland’s story lives on as the Black Lives Matter movement continues to combat racial violence and police brutality. The Sparks and the WNBA honored Bland by dedicating all games during the week of Aug. 2 through Aug. 9 to her.
On Mon. Aug. 3, players in the WNBA bubble watched the HBO documentary Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland before a Zoom call with Bland’s sister, Sharon Cooper. Players got the chance to speak with Cooper about policies to be aware of and how to best honor Bland’s story and life.
To honor Sandra, the Sparks invite you to make a donation to her scholarship fund and to celebrate her life, and acknowledge her courage and tenacious spirit and determination to be a social change agent. The link to her scholarship fund can be found here.
The Sparks recently launched their newest community outreach pillar dedicated to Social Justice, a long-term commitment to combatting systemic racism and sexism. The first campaign under the new Social Justice pillar is Change Has No Offseason, which focuses on Sparks initiatives dedicated to voter education and registration, immigration reform, mental health and wellness, police and youth relations, and women’s initiatives.
#SayHerName