Reginald Moore Sugar Land Convict Leasing System research collection

Reginald Moore, of Sugar Land, Texas, has created or maintained this collection of material as part of his work with the Texas Slave Descendants Society. Mr. Moore is an historian and has a certification in Community Economic Development from the College of Biblical Studies. He is also a community activist, and has a particular interest in prison reform and prison re-entry into society. He served as a correctional officer in the Texas Department of Corrections, 1985-1988. Mr. Moore worked in the Beauford H. Jester I and III Units, a prison farm located in unincorporated Fort Bend County, Texas. Jester I Farm was the first built by the state at this site, and was known as the Old Harlem Farm. Although convict leasing as a practice is believed to have begun informally in 1872, the State of Texas sanctioned the contract to lease the penal system to the private firm of Ed H. Cunningham and L.A. Ellis (Cunningham and Ellis) in 1878. In 1883, the land and system reverted from private to state control. While working at this site, Mr. Moore became interested in the history of the Flanagan House (former warden's house) and then in the Central Unit of the prison. Over time, this interest grew and became a major research area for Mr. Moore, who went on to found and chair the Texas Slave Descendants' Society(TSDS) in the early 2000's. Through the TSDS and on his own, Mr. Moore, has worked to gain recognition for the past abuses associated with Sugar Land’s convict leasing system. In 2016, the Texas Slave Descendants Society hosted its annual Labor Day program and honored Dr. Ken Brown (University of Houston) with the Emancipator Award for his archaeological work and advocacy in Sugar Land. Dr. Fred McGhee was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award. In the previous year, Dr. Lora Wildenthal (Rice University) was honored with the Emancipator Award for leading her students in highlighting Mr. Moore's work through the Houston Area Research Team program.

Mr. Moore serves as a member of the RIP Guardian program for the Imperial Prison Cemetery. Mr. Moore's son, Reginald J. Moore, earned a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Prairie View AM, and has also contributed to this body of research.

Texas Monthly magazine featured Mr. Moore and his advocacy regarding convict leasing in the January 2017 issue, available online at http://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/sugar-land-slave-convict-labor-history/. In Summer 2017, construction began on the Sugar Land Heritage Museum and Visitor Center, with the City of Sugar Land and the Sugar Land Heritage Foundation as partners in its creation. The museum and visitor center are set to open by the end of 2017. Mr. Moore and the Texas Slave Descendants Society has lobbied since 2003 for a separate museum and monument to tell the story of convict leasing and black history, within the context of Fort Bend County history.

In 2018, unmarked graves in the vicinity of the Imperial Prison Cemetery were discovered when the land was being being developed for Fort Bend ISD's future technology center.

Fox 26 News story, "Mystery deepens over unmarked Sugar Land cemetery on Ft. Bend school site" April 13, 2018 http://www.fox26houston.com/news/mystery-deepens-over-unmarked-sugar-land-cemetery-on-site-of-ft-bend-school-project

KTRK ABC News story: "Historic cemetery found on construction site of Fort Bend ISD's future technology center" April 11, 2018: http://abc13.com/society/historic-cemetery-found-on-ft-bend-isd-work-site/3329602/

KTRK ABC News story: "89 graves found at construction site of Fort Bend ISD's new technology center" April 25, 2018 http://abc13.com/society/89-graves-found-at-site-of-fort-bend-isds-new-technology-center/3392447/