Texas County Where Sandra Bland Died Has Long History Of Racism
LatestSandra Bland was found dead in her jail cell in Waller County, Texas, just days after a white police officer pulled over and arrested her when she failed to signal a lane change. Her arrest has been cited as a prime example of racial bias and misuse of force by the police — and it happened in a county itself marred by a long history of racial tension.
Waller County was once known as “Six Shooter Junction” because the area was a hotbed for white supremacist activity in the 1800s. According to historical documents obtained by the Associated Press, race riots in the 1880s led to the founding of a White Man’s Party designed specifically to restrict black voting.
“This is the most racist county in the state of Texas which is probably one of the most racist states in the country,” said former Waller County judge DeWayne Charleston in an interview with The Guardian. In 2007, Charleston ordered a black funeral home to bury a white woman which was seen as unfair because in Waller County it is somehow still cool for white people to refuse to be buried next to black people.