Activism

Listen To The Audio From Sigma Gamma Rho’s “Prayer Line” Conference Call For Soror Sandra Bland

[Originally posted on July 13th, 2015]

On Wednesday night, the International Headquarters of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., held a “Prayer Line” conference call for their sorority sister Sandra Bland who was pulled over by Texas police for a broken turn signal, arrested and then mysteriously died in a prison cell last Monday.

The call was open to the public and included prominent members of Sigma Gamma Rho praying and singing spirituals for Bland, the Black community and the state of current police brutality.

Participants on the “Prayer Line” included these sorors in the following order:

Bonita M. Herring – 23rd International President

Mae Frances Frazier – Boule Chaplain

Mary Walker – Southwestern Region Chaplain

Pastor Vikki Pruitte Sorrells – Central Region Chaplain

Myesha Proctor – soloist

Yolanda Davis Koonce – Northeastern Region Chaplain

Pastor Patricia Brock – Southeastern Region Chaplain

Evajuani Bynum – Western Region Chaplain

Mae Frances Frazier – Boule Chaplain

The call was an active move by Sigma Gamma Rho to unify people around this issue:

“People are hurting. We want answers to our sorority sister’s mysterious death. Prayer is powerful. That’s why it was important to facilitate the prayer line in honor of Soror Sandra Bland. It is important to have a place to hear comforting words during this time,” said Bonita M. Herring, 23rd International President of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. in an email to WatchTheYard.com.

The hashtag #JusticeForSandy, #SandySpeaks, and #WhatHappenedInBland have created a large wave on social media and have even become trending topics on Twitter. The African-American community, friends, classmates, social justice advocates and members of the Black fraternities and sororities have been speaking out since the story went viral last Tuesday, questioning the official reports from the police department which claim that Sandra died after “self-inflicted asphyxiation.”