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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
signiocant memorial projects, including Fort Bend
County9s commission of an African American
memorial. The initiative seeks to create a cultural
and heritage destination narrating stories related to
the state9s infamous convict leasing program, other
injustices, and the signiocant 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 design9s theme of circles and geometry symbolizes connectivity and the continuous
understanding of the African diaspora.
48 Texas Architect
9/10 2024
