KENDLETON, Texas \u2013 Nestled just outside of Houston lies Kendleton \u2014 one of the first U.S. towns founded by freed slaves. Rooted in history, this tight-knit community has weathered time\u2019s passage, holding fast to the spirit that shaped it.<\/p>\n
Off a quiet stretch of rural road, the land still echoes with stories of ancestors \u2014 of struggle, survival, and triumph.<\/p>\n
Now, that history is being honored in a monumental way. A $10 million African American Heritage Monument and Park, years in the making, is set to be dedicated on Saturday, Nov. 8, at Bates Allen Park in Kendleton. <\/p>\n
The memorial pays tribute to the six formerly enslaved families who founded the town more than a century ago, and to the generations who followed.<\/p>\n
Nestled just outside of Houston lies Kendleton \u2014 one of the first U.S. towns founded by freed slaves. (Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n
Dexter McCoy, Fort Bend County Precinct 4 Commissioner, has led the charge in launching and championing the project. <\/p>\n
\u201cI grew up here in Fort Bend, and there was so much I didn\u2019t know about the history of my people,\u201d McCoy said. \u201cWhat we\u2019re honoring here, and what we\u2019re hoping to establish, is how everyone can connect to their own heritage and their own story.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spanning 36 acres of sacred ground in Bates Allen Park, the site includes walking trails, a reflection pond, and tributes to a painful past, including a solemn acknowledgment of the lynchings that once haunted Fort Bend County.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople were lynched simply because of who they were,\u201d McCoy said. \u201cAnd we cannot talk about the other parts of history without pausing to acknowledge that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The memorial also preserves two historic cemeteries, Newman Chapel and Oak Hill, and honors pioneers like Benjamin Franklin Williams, Texas\u2019 first Black state representative.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not just a passive park,\u201d McCoy explained. \u201cIt\u2019s an active experience, where people can come and see that this was an important person in our history.\u201d<\/p>\n
At its heart is Juneteenth Plaza, crowned by a towering 40-foot red-hued monument, the tallest of its kind in the country, etched with Adinkra symbols from West Africa.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose were specifically chosen to promote messages of community, unity, and healing,\u201d McCoy said.<\/p>\n
Nestled just outside of Houston lies Kendleton \u2014 one of the first U.S. towns founded by freed slaves. (Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n
In another powerful tribute, 95 Sweet Gum trees will be planted across the site, each one honoring a member of the Sugar Land 95, African Americans forced into convict labor who died under brutal conditions after emancipation.<\/p>\n
For Lucy Bremond of the African American Memorial Conservancy, the mission is deeply personal.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is so important to educate future generations,\u201d Bremond said. \u201cIt\u2019s about teaching the next generation of doers, givers, and receivers to understand where this all comes from.\u201d<\/p>\n
The African American Heritage Monument and Park is designed as a journey through time \u2014 a sacred space to gather, learn, and reflect.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want folks to walk away with a sense of pride,\u201d McCoy said. \u201cEven by stepping foot on this hallowed ground, they too are leaving a mark \u2014 and they have a role to play. That\u2019s something for us all to treasure and be proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n
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