Hundreds mourn death
Hundreds of mourners gather at the suburban Chicago church that Bland attended for many of her 28 years. Relatives and friends recount happy memories of Bland’s faith and social activism, and restate their belief that her death in a Texas jail was not suicide. Bland’s mother:
That baby did not take herself out of here. Her purpose was to stop all injustice against blacks in the South.
Leaders at DuPage remember Bland as a smart woman who sang in the youth choir and participated in the church’s Girl Scout troop. Reverend:
This is someone who had over 50 selfies, healthy self-esteem. Someone who had two job offers. Someone who just talked to her family and knew that help and rescue was on the way. This is someone who knew the Lord and was extremely close with her church family and her sisters, her biological family. None of that adds up to taking one’s life or suicide.