FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas — Fort Bend County officials on Tuesday approved a $1.5 million contribution to support the construction of a permanent memorial for the 95 individuals whose remains were discovered in 2018 on Fort Bend ISD property in Sugar Land.
The county’s funding will join contributions from Fort Bend ISD and other partners to cover design, construction, and interpretive features, including markers, landscaping, and educational components. The memorial is planned at the site where the remains were found during construction at the James Reese Career and Technical Center.
Archaeologists and historians identified the remains as African American men and boys believed to have worked under Texas’ convict leasing system in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Fort Bend ISD previously reinterred the remains in individual coffins at a dedicated cemetery near the original burial site.
Project plans include engraved names or identifiers for the 95 individuals, when available, as well as information on the Sugar Land 95, the state prison system, and local labor practices during the era. County officials said the site will be open for public visitation and educational purposes.
County officials stated that they will monitor progress and ensure compliance with financial, preservation, and land-use regulations. Fort Bend ISD will coordinate on final design, construction timelines, and public access once formal agreements are finalized.
