On this editi0n of In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. speaks with Brittney Martin, co-host and Executive Producer of Sugar Land, and eight-episode podcast that explores how the discovery of an old cemetery forced a city to confront the truth of its history of a convict-leasing program with roots in slavery.
Sugar Land
More Bodies
(Episode 8) Thousands of people died under the convict lease system in Texas, and its effects can still be seen and felt today. Their descendants hope the truth leads to healing and understanding.
The full transcript and a collection of materials, letters and reports are available on our Sugar Land podcast website.
You Better Walk Right
(Episode 7) How did the remains of 95 people in unmarked graves end up in Sugar Land to begin with? How one man’s remarkable life and tragic death revealed the truth about convict leasing in Texas.
The full transcript and a collection of materials, letters and reports are available on our Sugar Land podcast website.
Gatekeepers
(Episode 6) Four years after the cemetery was discovered, the Sugar Land 95 still haven’t been identified. The group in charge of researching their remains has made little progress, but refuses to cede control. Is it conspiracy or negligence?
The full transcript and a collection of materials, letters and reports are available on our Sugar Land podcast website.
‘That’s typical, you know?’
(Episode 5) Fort Bend ISD says it’s not going to fund any more research on the Sugar Land 95, so a familiar group takes control. But is that group the best for the job? Plus, we start our own genealogical journey.
The full transcript and a collection of materials, letters and reports are available on our Sugar Land podcast website.
This Man Shall Be Remembered
(Episode 4) The fight over how to memorialize the Sugar Land 95 has taken its toll on activist Reginald Moore. As his health declines, momentum slows. Research on the cemetery is finally made public, and the findings aren’t just surprising — they’re unbelievable.
The full transcript and a collection of materials, letters and reports are available on our Sugar Land podcast website.
Brittney sits down with Kai Wright of Notes from America
Kai Wright of the public radio show Notes from America recently sat down with Sugar Land host Brittney Martin to talk about the history of convict leasing and why she never learned about it in school. Notes from America is a show about the unfinished business of our history and its grip on our future. This episode of Notes from America originally included part one of our podcast, Sugar Land. We’ve edited this to be only the interview segments.
Center of the Ring
(Episode 3) The fight of the century is unfolding in Sugar Land. Should the bodies be moved so construction could continue, or should they be reburied where they were found? Alliances are made and broken, Reginald Moore leads a coup, and in the end, one side claims a clear victory.
The full transcript and a collection of materials, letters and reports are available on our Sugar Land podcast website.
Cormac McCarthy’s deep Texas ties
A tornado tore through the Panhandle town of Perryton on Thursday, leaving three dead, scores injured and many without homes – and forecasts say there’s more severe weather on the way.
Native American tribes are celebrating a big win before the Supreme Court in an adoption law case brought by a white foster couple from Texas.
What an expo in El Paso says about an aspect of border security that’s seldom talked about.
Remembering a giant of American novelists, Cormac McCarthy, and his ties to Texas.
And the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.
The Story the Bones Tell
(Episode 2) As archeologists uncover more graves, a new person is added to the team. Catrina Banks Whitley specializes in studying human remains. And after a few months, she thinks she knows who these people might be.
The full transcript and a collection of materials, letters and reports are available on our Sugar Land podcast website.
Who’s Buried Here?
(Episode 1) The Fort Bend Independent School District is set to start building a new school in the sweet city of Sugar Land, Texas. After years of planning, contractors finally break ground on the site. But the very next day, someone shows up with a warning: Be on the lookout for bodies.
Archival audio in this episode is courtesy of Sugar Land Heritage Foundation and provided by Texas Archive of the Moving Image.
The full transcript and a collection of materials, letters and reports are available on our Sugar Land podcast website.
Trailer: Sugar Land
Sugar Land, Texas, is a city with a sweet reputation … but it’s hiding a dark secret. The suspected remains of 95 convict laborers were discovered during the construction of a new school. Who are they and why are they there?
Texas Standard: October 23, 2019
It’s a closely watched case involving bail reform in Harris County. Now, the state’s attorney general wants to weigh in – against the change. Plus, he’s the longest serving governor in Texas history, he’s run for president, he’s been serving as energy secretary and now he’s leaving the Trump administration. What’s next for Rick Perry? Fellow Texan and ABC political analyst Matthew Dowd has an idea or two for the outgoing secretary. Also, decoding the accent of a major film star from Katy. And an overdue honor for a hero from the Texas tower shooting. Those stories and more on today’s Texas Standard.
Texas Standard: October 18, 2018
It started with a few hundred headed for the U.S. border, now 4 thousand strong: the Honduran caravan en route for the U.S. border, we’ll have the latest. Also, days away from the start of early voting, and a once reliably Republican congressional district now one of the most closely watched of the election season. Why the Texas 32nd matters. And they’re the fastest growing demographic in Texas and politicians are eager to court them. But how much do the political parties really understand about what makes young Latinos and Latinas tick? A new survey offers some answers. All that and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard: