Planned Parenthood Echoes Calls for Justice for Victims of Police Brutality
For Immediate Release: July 22, 2015
“Sandra Bland’s death deeply tragic example of violence against black women”
New York, NY — Today, Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund issued the statement below calling for justice for Sandra Bland — the 28-year-old black woman who was found dead in police custody, three days after her arrest during a traffic stop, in what is now being treated as a murder investigation by the Waller County, Texas district attorney.
Statement from Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Action Fund:
“Sandra Bland’s death is a deeply tragic example of structural and state supported racism that all too frequently sanctions overzealous and brutal policing. This is the only way a minor traffic violation can lead to the death of a 28 year old on the way to a new job at a prestigious University. Sadly and outrageously this lack of respect for black women's lives is pervasive in our country, and Sandra Bland joins a long list of black women who are victims of this broken system of policing.
“As a community based provider and advocate for black people of all genders - including those who work within this organization — we support movements like #BlackLivesMatter and #SayHerName. We know that women of color, particularly black women, face both gender and race-based discrimination, and are disproportionately impacted by violence of all types. We are calling for justice for Sandra Bland, and all women of color, including transgender women, who have died at the hands of that violence.
“We cannot know what happened to Sandra Bland without a full investigation but we already know from police video that improper protocol and excessive force resulted in her arrest and imprisonment on a minor traffic violation. Sandra Bland's family deserves answers, and we all need justice in order to live in a nation where black women can live without fear of being mistreated, discriminated against, violated, stripped of their reproductive rights, or murdered. We are committed to this change.”