Technology has come a long way since the 1991 Rodney King footage that exposed police misconduct within the LAPD. The incidents that have transpired this week involving the deaths of black men at the hands of police officers, would not be part of our public consciousness were it not for smartphones and social media. This combination of technology has confirmed the mistreatment that the black community has been experiencing for generations.
A video surfaced this week of Sandra Bland predicting the impact that this technology would have toward propelling change. She recorded the video on January 14, 2015. In it she says, “This thing that I’m holding in my hand, this telephone, this camera – it is quite powerful. Social media is powerful. We can do something with this. If we want change, we can really truly make it happen.”
Ive been watching this over and over. No words. pic.twitter.com/Qpc3uGR9qR
— Vintage Honey (@thesoulasylum) July 7, 2016
Her one year death anniversary is next week (July 13th). Chilling words from a woman whose death, while in police custody, would play a pivotal role in provoking the societal change that she sought.
