Historic Kendleton celebrates $10 million investment in Black history monument
KENDLETON, Texas (KTRK) -- It's Jubilee Day here in Texas and across the nation as we celebrate 159 years of freedom.
Juneteenth recognizes the day enslaved African Americans in Galveston learned about the end of slavery two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Six freed families founded the city of Kendleton, which is about 45 minutes south of Houston.
Every community in this county that's been historically excluded matters.Precinct Four Commissioner Dexter McCoy
An area in Bates Allen Park has been referred to as sacred ground. It's where a part of Fort Bend County's history has been buried right along with the bodies of African Americans dating back to the early 1800s.
The people built a thriving community that local leaders said became excluded and neglected over time.
However, leaders are putting a spotlight back on Kendleton.
The county will break ground on what will become the biggest African American memorial in this region of the country.
The $10 million plan includes a three-story monument, a tribute recognizing convict leasing and the Sugar Land 95, a reflection pond to show Fort Bend's history of lynchings, and a Juneteenth plaza for outdoor celebrations.
A lot of the people who sweated, bled, and died for this day we have right now ... it's very exciting.Kendleton Mayor Darryl Humphrey
Precinct Four Commissioner Dexter McCoy said recognizing this history is about restoring dignity to the dead and the living.
"What I hope with this monument in this community is that people see something in this community that they can be ridiculously proud of. Something that they can celebrate. We're saying this community matters. Every community in this county that's been historically excluded matters," McCoy told ABC13.
Kendleton Mayor Darryl Humphrey agreed. He said this type of investment in history will create a brighter future for people who call Kendleton home today.
"The people of Kendleton have been trying to get something like this going for years. This growth and attention coming to Kendleton is very good. It's a good day in Kendleton. Now a lot of the people who sweated, bled, and died for this day we have right now ... it's very exciting," Humphrey said.
There are also plans for a Black cowboy museum at the park and an expansion of Chef Chris Williams' garden. The non-profit wing of his popular Houston restaurant, Lucille's, grows food for the palates of the people who live in Kendleton.
The garden concept provides jobs and fresh food for a community that Williams described as a living relic.
"It's a rich history that's just here 45 minutes south of Houston that I think we should be proud of," Williams said.
Despite the weather postponing Wednesday's Juneteenth celebration and groundbreaking ceremony, county leaders said construction will begin. They expect the monument's first phase to be completed in about 18 months.
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