An Open Letter to Sandra Bland

I understand that Sandra Bland’s family asked that no posts or protests be published or undertaken in her honor. While I cannot understand the tremendous pain her family is experiencing in this moment, I do believe that remaining silent will only embolden her killers and minimize the appropriate coverage her story deserves. Especially given Sandra Bland’s public pro-Black statements, I write this letter to her in pro-Black Love, Resilience, and Responsibility.

Dear Goddess,

My heart is heavy with news of your death. My heart is heavy with thoughts of your body discarded within the confines of a jail cell that you did not deserve to be in. My heart is heavy with the very real possibility of ignorance had I not heard of your story, and the Black women and girls whose names I do not yet know.

I do not believe you killed yourself. I believe you were murdered by…