ISD at Fort Bend Hosts Special Events to Celebrate Sugar Land 95’s 5th Anniversary

FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas. The Fort Bend Independent School District James Reese Tech and Career Center was under construction when the bodies of 95 people were discovered in 2018. They are believed to be part of a convict leasing program that began in the late 1800s. .

Most of the convicted workers at Sugar Land 95 were blacks convicted of dubious, if not fictional, crimes. The system was unfair, providing cheap labor to plantation owners. Some said it was a continuation of slavery after the end of the Civil War.

On Sunday, Fort Benda’s ISD and the community came together to host a couple of events to celebrate the five-year anniversary of the opening.

First, an art exhibition dedicated to the historic discovery was held. A public vigil was later held with live performances by Gregory “Saxman” Daniels and FBISD students.

During the vigil, the candles symbolized the 95 people buried in the graves below them. So far, none of the 95 Sugar Lands have been identified, but work is underway to name the bodies.

Reginald Moore was the voice of 95 before they were found.

“What he was saying all along was the truth,” his wife Marilyn Moore said. “They worked on sugarcane plantations.”

History is a harsh reality. Some of Sugar Land 95 may have been freed slaves trapped in an unjust system.

“Arrested for minor things. Like spitting on the sidewalk or not working,” Moore said.

Hassidi Olainu-Alade of Fort Bend ISD said the story was buried along with the people who lived it.

“How does history change when new information or sources are discovered?” said Olain-Alade. “Nothing in our curriculum or in our resources pointed to a history of prisoner leasing, and so this was a real learning opportunity.”

The students learn about the past and make sure Sugar Land 95 lives on.

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