On April 5, 2022 FBISD hosted the second of four community engagement sessions led by the MASS Design Group to collect community input on the Sugar Land 95 Memorialization Project. The workshop began with an introduction of MASS, followed by a recap of engagement session #1. MASS then led a presentation of peer projects to introduce the engagement objective of Connections: Impact and Systemic Change. MASS described the workshop activities including community standards that would occur in Zoom breakout rooms.

Approximately 25 participants were divided into two breakout rooms, each with a MASS Design facilitator and two FBISD moderators. The facilitators prompted breakout room discussions with three questions and took notes. Following the breakout room, participants returned to the main group for a brief report out and summary remarks of next steps.

Discussion in the breakout rooms were facilitated based on three prompts. The following statements synthesizes and summarizes key insights and priorities gathered from participants’ responses.

 

Q1: What are parallels or differences between these projects and SL95?

1. Shared desire to confront and uncover an erased history
2. The grave site has an inherent sacredness
3. Unique opportunity to have the Principle Research Group researching the bodies that were discovered
4. There are painful histories, but we still must confront if we want a different future 5. There’s a possibility for all these stories to work together and educate our nation

 

Q2: How would you measure success for the SL95 memorial?

1. Recognition of the entire story of convict leasing, connecting it to past and present systems of forced labor, as well as its geographic reach.
2. Give the 95 individuals identities beyond that of convict - identify people where possible, and connect them to the descendant community.
3. Build momentum through an act of participation that motivates people to combat today’s racial injustices.
4. Generating inclusive community ownership of the site whereby it is understood that this history defines us all.
5. Space that allows for an emotional experience - from the visceral experience of the site, to a calming space to reflect on the hard history.

 

Q3: How does the environment of SL95 become an evolving, transformative, “living” landscape?

1. A collaborative effort between the community, FBISD, Ft. Bend County, and the City of Sugar Land
2. A place for honoring, peace, and memorialization that engages ongoing student activities & advocacy, community events, and exhibitions, speeches, etc. bringing curriculum, community, and culture together
3. Supports an interactive experience with storytelling/information and technology that is accessible to all ages and backgrounds
4. People repeatedly return to the site to reflect and be transformed spiritually, intellectually, and socially
5. Synergizes a participatory interaction with landscape beauty and care, learning about farming and sugar industry, and ritual memorialization to foster different experiences and seasonal changes

 

Based on the discussions from sessions one and two, the MASS Design team has synthesized their findings into four key priorities that may inform principles of the design for the cemetery site:

 

• Cultivate shared experience through an emotional and cognitive journey of the site

 

• Reveal history & truth-telling that conveys a complete narrative of Sugar Land and Fort Bend’s role in convict leasing and current national inequalities

 

• Uplift justice and healing as models for community strengthening and honoring the 95

 

• Transform education to foster intergenerational learning and engagement