Our Mission
The Mission of Friends of the Sugar Land 95 is to:
Advocate for the respectful memorialization of the victims of forced labor
Educate all generations about the impact of the system of convict leasing past and present
Partner with Fort Bend Independent School District (FBISD) in fundraising for the construction of the Sugar Land 95 memorial site
Manage the stewardship of community investment for perpetual care of the site
Act as liaison between FBISD and community groups
As we move forward in our mission to partner with FBISD in fundraising for the Sugar Land 95 Memorial Project, take a look at the proposed Design Plan for the future Outdoor Learning Area and Cemetery upgrade.
-Marilyn Moore, President
Fort Bend ISD has remained committed to honoring and properly memorializing the individuals known as the Sugar Land 95. In November 2021, FBISD signed an agreement with the MASS Design Group to engage in the visioning and design of the Sugar Land 95 Outdoor Learning Area and Cemetery. In the Spring of 2022, MASS Design Group conducted a 10-week period of community engagement, marked by four public community engagement sessions to gather stakeholder input and feedback. In October 2022, MASS Design presented the preliminary designs at the Sugar Land 95 Symposium and Discussion Panel, to gain additional feedback from students, staff, community members, and local leaders. The renderings below are the final design plans submitted by MASS Design Group that we hope to construct in honor of the Sugar Land 95. The current projected cost of this project is $4,000,000. FBISD is actively seeking funding through philanthropic, corporate, and community sponsorships to complete this project.
Reginald W. Moore
First Friend of the Sugar Land 95
The question is often asked, “How did he know there were bodies buried on the site where the James Reese Career and Technical Center (JRCTC) was being built?” Mr. Moore did not know specifically where they were buried or who they were. He began his journey seeking to preserve historical sites; in doing so, he conducted his own research of the sites he sought to preserve. While gathering information and conducting research to write a book, he happened upon something that caught his attention called “convict leasing” and delve into it. Mr. Moore had previously worked as a Corrections Officer at two of the Jester Prison Units located in Fort Bend County, Texas and noticed the correlation between his observation of how prisoners were treated and prisoners leased to plantation owners by the State of Texas. In addition to being a spiritual man, he researched at libraries, reviewed historical records and asked questions. This combination of work experience, preservationist, historian, researcher and the spirit brought about his revelation of the probability of burial site(s) on the JRCTC property.
Mr. Moore began to tell others about his research and belief, such as, Fort Bend county and school officials, state officials, including the Texas Historical Commission, anyone who would or would not listen. He was ridiculed, ignored and disrespected; however, he did not allow the dismissive words, the disbelief or disrespect to deter him; he persevered. He attended unofficial and official meetings throughout Fort Bend County and state agencies, but his pleas about his beliefs mostly fell on deaf ears.
On February 19, 2018, while backfilling trenches to build a wing of the James Reese Career and Technical Center, a backhoe operator unearthed skeletal remains and alerted the project manager. After the initial denial that the bones were human based on photographs viewed by a laboratory analyst, further analysis was requested. After further research and analysis, it was determined the bones were human and were most likely victims of forced labor, also known as convict leasing.
Mr. Moore was right!
Mr. Moore lived his life based on Luke 4:18. He spoke for those who had no voice. He did not disregard these human beings; he fought for their recognition and remembrance by advocating for a museum to honor them and educate others about the atrocities that occurred and their "forced labor" contributions under the state-sanctioned convict lease system.
Mr. Moore was the “First Friend of the Sugar Land 95”, and the work he began must continue, by educating others about history of convict leasing and building a museum/memorial, for which he advocated many years before the discovery of the Sugar Land 95.
The Friends of the Sugar Land 95 pay tribute to Mr. Reginald Moore, the “First Friend of the Sugar Land 95”, for his advocacy, empathy, compassion, perseverance and his tireless work to give a voice to the voiceless. In honor of Mr. Moore, we will continue the mission and we will neither let the vision die nor the work of Mr. Moore be forgotten. He used his voice to share the vision until his death on July 3, 2020.
You can find Reginald's collection of work at the sites below:
