In 2015, Sandra Bland, a politically active 28-year-old black woman from Chicago was arrested for a traffic violation in a small Texas town. Three days later, Sandra was found hanging from a noose in her jail cell. Though ruled a suicide, her death sparked allegations of racially-motivated police murder and Sandra became a poster child for activists nationwide, leaving millions to question, “What really happened to Sandra Bland?”
Ten days after Sandra’s death, filmmakers, Kate Davis and David Heilbroner began working closely with the family’s legal team, tracking the two-year battle between Sandra’s aggrieved family and Texas authorities. With disturbing, never-before-told details about the case, the film is punctuated by Sandra’s own passionate and moving commentary.
Approximately 30 “Sandy Speaks” video blogs, which Sandra created herself, allowed the filmmakers to get to know Sandra Bland in a deeply personal way. Via these videos, Sandy herself emerges as a central voice in “Say Her Name”—an empowered, enlightened woman of color whose sharp, humorous, charismatic remarks address subjects from educating kids about black history to police brutality to the importance of natural hair.
Please join the Center for American Progress’ Smart on Crime Initiative and Reel Progress program for a screening of the upcoming HBO Documentary, “Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland.“
Welcoming remarks:
Edward Chung, Vice President, Criminal Justice Reform, Center for American Progress
Post-film discussants:
David Heilbronner, Director, Say Her Name
Cannon D. Lambert, Sr., Attorney for the Bland Family
Moderator:
Daniella Gibbs Leger, Senior Vice President, Communications and Strategy, Center for American Progress