African American Memorial
HINES Architecture+Design
“The memorial itself is the part of the project that’s the most compelling to me, in terms of being both an object, but then also once you’re in it, a field. The idea of the relationship between the body of the inhabitant and the bodies of the 95 who were found in Sugar Land is really brought to bear.”
— Valerie Chang Greer, AIA
The 2018 unearthing of 95 Black inmates in unmarked graves in Sugar Land has prompted significant memorial projects, including Fort Bend County’s commission of an African American memorial. The initiative seeks to create a cultural and heritage destination narrating stories related to the state’s infamous convict leasing program, other injustices, and the significant role of Black citizens in the community. This design transforms 14 acres of an existing park by formalizing and connecting historic Black cemeteries and incorporating new interventions, including an arrival mall with a Juneteenth Plaza, a 40-foot-high monument, a reflecting pond with a replica lynching placard from the Equal Justice Institute, and a future learning center. The design’s theme of circles and geometry symbolizes connectivity and the continuous understanding of the African diaspora.