SUGAR LAND, Texas – Dozens of people gathered outside a construction site Sunday in Sugar Land, where the remains of 94 people were found buried in an unmarked grave.
Archeologists believe them to be African American prisoners who were forced to work on plantations after slavery was abolished. It was part of Texas’ convict leasing system, which was outlawed in 1910.
The remains were recently discovered by construction crews who were building a career and technical center for Fort Bend ISD.
Demonstrators prayed over the graves Sunday to honor the lives lost.
“It means a whole lot, speaking for people from the dead who can’t speak for themselves,” said Reginald Moore, a historian who wants the remains buried nearby at the Old Imperial Farm Cemetery.
“For them to be respected and acknowledged through the ancestral lineage is very powerful. This is overwhelming to me. I know the people in the ground who we’re talking about are rejoicing. Their bones are rattling, and flesh is coming on. They know they haven’t been forgotten.”
The group, organized by the National Black United Front, wants the remains to be memorialized and for a museum to be built. They’re also calling for apologies from county, city, state, and federal officials.
“We want these ancestral remains to be treated, just like any other group of people, with the reverence, respect, memorial, and restitution and reparations that is deserved,” said Kofi Taharka of National Black United Front.
Experts believe there may be more unmarked graves yet to be discovered in the Sugar Land area.