The Society of Justice and Equality for the People of Sugar Land, a nonprofit that for years has called for a proper memorial for the Sugar Land 95, has been awarded a $10,000 grant to create a traveling exhibit focused on the history of Sugar Land and its connection to convict leasing.
The grant is from the Honeyland Fund, a philanthropic extension of the Honeyland Festival that came to Sugar Land this fall. The fund aims to address “the systemic inequities and barriers faced by Black creators, Black-led organizations, and Black-serving entities in hospitality, events, and cultural industries.”
“The impact of your initiative will go beyond the festival to create a lasting impact in the community it celebrates,” the Honeyland Fund said in its award letter to the nonprofit.
SOJES president Robin Cole expressed great excitement about the award.
“What this means to me is that we finally have the support of not just the community but businesses who want to raise the narrative on this atrocity,” Cole said. “So it’s one thing to have passion for something devastating that happened in your neighborhood or your community. When you reach… the minds of major companies that say, we hear you, we want to assist you so that you can make a difference. That means the world to us.”
The traveling exhibit will consist of eight, three-sided panels focused on multiple aspects of the intersection of convict leasing and Sugar Land’s history. The panels will be written on a fifth-grade level to ensure that children and adults will be able to understand. Some initial topics Cole wants the panels to explore is the labor intensive, step-by-step process in the convict leasing system to make sugar and break down the chemical formula for sugar.
The grant will also be used to showcase the traveling exhibit virtually. Cole hopes the panels will include a QR code to allow guests to learn more information.
The group plans to unveil a portion of the first phase of the traveling exhibit at its annual Black History Month on Feb. 12. The event called “The Reconciliation” will feature updates on the DNA testing of the Sugar Land 95, an update on the Bates Allen Park project led by Commissioner Dexter McCoy and musical tributes celebrating Black history.
Cole and her group have been outspoken about the need for a memorial for the Sugar Land 95. While there are efforts in motion, Cole said having a piece of the process has deep meaning to her.
“We have an obligation to keep a spotlight on a dark part of history,” she said. “It’s easy for a lot of people to ignore, but when you have courageous people that are willing to stand by the truth, and now you have a corporation who’s willing to support you to tell the truth, they know that you’re not living in vain.”
Briah Lumpkins is a suburban reporter for the Houston Landing covering Fort Bend, Brazoria and Galveston counties. If you have any story ideas or tips for Briah, feel free to send her an email at briah@houstonlanding.org.
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