SR0854LRB099 13495 MST 37438 r

1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Sandra Annette "Sandy" Bland, who passed
4away on July 13, 2015; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Sandy Bland was born in Chicago on February 7,
61987 to Willie and Geneva Bland; her family later moved to
7Villa Park; she attended Jackson Middle School and graduated
8from Willowbrook High School in 2005, where she was involved in
9basketball, volleyball, track, color guard, and cheerleading;
10she attended Prairie View A&M University on a band scholarship
11as a skilled trombonist and was a member of The Marching Storm;
12in the spring of 2007, she joined Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority,
13Inc., where she served as chapter President; she graduated in
142009 with a bachelor degree in agricultural food sciences; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Sandy Bland grew up in the DuPage AME Church,
16participating in a number of youth ministries, including the
17Girl Scouts, Sisters in Praise, the YPD, and Voices of
18Tomorrow; most recently, she worked with the Women's Day
19Committee; and
 
20    WHEREAS, In January of 2015, Sandy Bland introduced the
21hashtag #SandySpeaks to use as a platform to address societal
22injustices that she felt impacted her community personally; she

 

 

SR0854- 2 -LRB099 13495 MST 37438 r

1had a genuine interest in lending a voice to the next
2generation; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Sandy Bland was preceded in death by her maternal
4grandparents, Sharon Needham and Emmett Reed, Sr.; her paternal
5grandparents, Verdine and Melvin Bland, Sr.; and her father,
6Willie Bland; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Sandy Bland is survived by her mother, Geneva
8Reed-Veal (Rick); her sisters, Shante Needham (Mickiya,
9Princess, Tremaine, and Denzel), Sharon Cooper (Jonathan and
10Natalie), Shavon Bland (Zakira, Laiana, and Egypt), and Sierra
11Cole (Janiyah); and a host of uncles, aunts, cousins, and
12friends; therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
14ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
15Sandra Annette "Sandy" Bland, and extend our sincere
16condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved
17her; and be it further
 
18    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19presented to the family of Sandy Bland as an expression of our
20deepest sympathy.