/sugar-land How the discovery of an unmarked cemetery containing 95 bodies forced a Texas city to confront its history. en-US Copyright KUT News 2025 Thu, 28 Mar 2024 15:07:03 GMT /station-information/2024-03-28/podcast-from-the-texas-newsroom-wins-national-gracie-award Sugar Land dives into the story of the 95 bodies discovered when construction began on a new school in Sugar Land, Texas. The award for the podcast will be presented in May. Thu, 28 Mar 2024 15:07:03 GMT /station-information/2024-03-28/podcast-from-the-texas-newsroom-wins-national-gracie-award KERA News /texas/2023-07-27/more-than-95-fallout-from-convict-leasing-spans-generations The remains of others who died under the convict-lease system are scattered throughout Sugar Land, but no one is looking for them. To this day, prison-made goods and services yield the state over $50 million in revenue each year, but prisoners are not paid a cent. What could prevent future abuse in the criminal justice system and beyond? And how can Texas begin to make amends? Thu, 27 Jul 2023 13:55:18 GMT /texas/2023-07-27/more-than-95-fallout-from-convict-leasing-spans-generations Naomi Reed and Brittney Martin /texas/2023-07-19/the-ballad-of-watt-bonner-from-slave-to-teacher-to-convict How did these 95 people end up in Sugar Land to begin with? One man’s remarkable life and tragic death reveals the truth about convict leasing in Texas. Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:18:39 GMT /texas/2023-07-19/the-ballad-of-watt-bonner-from-slave-to-teacher-to-convict Naomi Reed and Brittney Martin /texas/2023-07-13/five-years-after-their-bodies-were-discovered-nobody-is-funding-research-on-the-sugar-land-95 The group in charge of researching remains has made little progress but refuses to cede control. Is it a conspiracy or negligence? Thu, 13 Jul 2023 17:59:18 GMT /texas/2023-07-13/five-years-after-their-bodies-were-discovered-nobody-is-funding-research-on-the-sugar-land-95 Naomi Reed and Brittney Martin /texas/2023-07-06/can-descendants-of-the-sugar-land-95-be-found-we-start-our-genealogical-journey After the Sugar Land 95 are reburied, Fort Bend ISD says it’s not going to fund any more research on the remains. A new group takes control � but are they the best people for the job? Plus, we start our own search for descendants. Thu, 06 Jul 2023 18:44:55 GMT /texas/2023-07-06/can-descendants-of-the-sugar-land-95-be-found-we-start-our-genealogical-journey Naomi Reed and Brittney Martin /texas/2023-06-29/the-fight-over-how-to-memorialize-the-sugar-land-95-takes-its-toll-on-the-groups-biggest-advocate Research on the cemetery is finally made public, and the findings aren’t just surprising � they’re unbelievable. Thu, 29 Jun 2023 18:43:36 GMT /texas/2023-06-29/the-fight-over-how-to-memorialize-the-sugar-land-95-takes-its-toll-on-the-groups-biggest-advocate Naomi Reed and Brittney Martin /texas/2023-06-22/relocate-or-rebury-how-the-final-resting-place-of-the-sugar-land-95-played-out-in-court The fight of the century is unfolding in Sugar Land. Should the remains of the Sugar Land 95 be moved so construction on Fort Bend ISD's new school could continue as planned? Or should they be reburied where they were found? Thu, 22 Jun 2023 16:39:49 GMT /texas/2023-06-22/relocate-or-rebury-how-the-final-resting-place-of-the-sugar-land-95-played-out-in-court Naomi Reed and Brittney Martin /texas/2023-06-16/sugar-land-podcast-episode-2-the-story-the-bones-tell As archeologists uncover more graves, a new person is added to the team � one who specializes in studying human remains. After a few months, she thinks she knows who these people might be. Fri, 16 Jun 2023 17:18:37 GMT /texas/2023-06-16/sugar-land-podcast-episode-2-the-story-the-bones-tell Naomi Reed and Brittney Martin /texas/2023-06-16/sugar-land-podcast-episode-1-whos-buried-here After years of planning, contractors finally break ground on the site of a new school in Sugar Land. But the very next day, someone shows up with a warning: Be on the lookout for bodies. Fri, 16 Jun 2023 10:01:00 GMT /texas/2023-06-16/sugar-land-podcast-episode-1-whos-buried-here Naomi Reed and Brittney Martin