Kendleton’s New African American Heritage Monument and Park honors founders, ancestors, and spirit of freedom

Nestled just outside of Houston lies Kendleton — one of the first U.S. towns founded by freed slaves. Rooted in history, this tight-knit community has weathered time’s passage, holding fast to the spirit that shaped it.

Off a quiet stretch of rural road, the land still echoes with stories of ancestors — of struggle, survival, and triumph.

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.

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.

Dexter McCoy, Fort Bend County Precinct 4 Commissioner, has led the charge in launching and championing the project.

“I grew up here in Fort Bend, and there was so much I didn’t know about the history of my people,” McCoy said. “What we’re honoring here, and what we’re hoping to establish, is how everyone can connect to their own heritage and their own story.”

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.

“People were lynched simply because of who they were,” McCoy said. “And we cannot talk about the other parts of history without pausing to acknowledge that.”

The memorial also preserves two historic cemeteries, Newman Chapel and Oak Hill, and honors pioneers like Benjamin Franklin Williams, Texas’ first Black state representative.

“This is not just a passive park,” McCoy explained. “It’s an active experience, where people can come and see that this was an important person in our history.”

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.

“Those were specifically chosen to promote messages of community, unity, and healing,” McCoy said.

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.

For Lucy Bremond of the African American Memorial Conservancy, the mission is deeply personal.

“It is so important to educate future generations,” Bremond said. “It’s about teaching the next generation of doers, givers, and receivers to understand where this all comes from.”

The African American Heritage Monument and Park is designed as a journey through time — a sacred space to gather, learn, and reflect.

“I want folks to walk away with a sense of pride,” McCoy said. “Even by stepping foot on this hallowed ground, they too are leaving a mark — and they have a role to play. That’s something for us all to treasure and be proud of.”