Texas College Renames Road in Honor of Sandra Bland

Former Naperville resident Sandra Bland was posthumously honored when her alma mater renamed a road leading to the college.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Prairie View City Council voted Tuesday to rename University Boulevard to Sandra Bland Boulevard. The road leads to Prairie View A&M University. The vote came after demonstrations backing the move.

Sign up for the Patch newsletter and never miss a moment

Bland was arrested July 10 after a traffic stop in Prairie View. On July 13 she was found dead in her jail cell. Local authorities in Waller County, Texas, insist Bland asphyxiated herself with a plastic trash bag and ruled her death a suicide. A funeral for Bland was held July 26 at her childhood church.

The Death of Sandra Bland

• Texas district attorney says the case will go to a grand jury and says it’s being treated as a “murder Investigation.” Meanwhile, civil rights activists and politicians are asking the Justice Department to step in. Recent coverage includes:

• • Congressman Asks Department of Justice to Investigate Sandra Bland’s Death
  • Sister ‘Infuriated’ By Dash Cam Footage
  • Sandra Bland Tried to Kill Herself Before Arrest: AP
  • Texas Public Safety Denies Altering Sandra Bland Dash Cam Footage
  • Timeline Leading Up to Death of Sandra Bland Released
  • Lawyer for Family of Sandra Bland Describes Police Dash Cam Video
  • Family of Naperville Woman Who Died in Jail Seeks Independent Autopsy