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?

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(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.

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(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.

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(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.

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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.

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(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.

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(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.

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(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.

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