Page 2 The Skanner Portland & Seattle March 6, 2019
®
Challenging People to Shape
a Better Future Now
Rest in Peace: Texas Leaders Step Up to Protect
the Sacred Remains of the ‘Sugar Land 95’
Bernie Foster
Founder/Publisher
Bobbie Dore Foster
Executive Editor
T
Jerry Foster
Advertising Manager
Christen McCurdy
News Editor
Patricia Irvin
Graphic Designer
Monica J. Foster
Seattle Office Coordinator
Susan Fried
Photographer
2017
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Jeffrey
Boney
NNPA
Columnist
we will look to the State of
Texas, other elected officials,
as well as lawmakers, to assist
us in finding a solution.
“We appreciate and wel-
come the County’s recent
commitment to work with
the District toward a solution
“
Fort Bend ISD
agrees that
the ‘Sugar
Land 95’ need
to be memo-
rialized at the
site of discov-
ery
that preserves the story and
memory of those buried on
this historic site. In order to
show our good faith and com-
mitment to working toward a
comprehensive solution, the
District will halt all further
court action while we explore
all available options with the
County.
“The District’s plan to build
the portion of the building
that is within the cemetery
area has been cancelled. We
are confident that our part-
nership with the County will
result in a solution that al-
T
LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS
LOCAL EVENTS
•
nts
he arc of the moral uni-
verse is bending towards
justice for the 95 victims
of the unjust and inhu-
mane convict-leasing system
in Texas, who were previous-
ly lost to history.
This past week, the Fort
Bend ISD (FBISD) Board of
Trustees unanimously voted
to no longer move forward
with any legal actions relat-
ed to the historic cemetery
where the 95 individuals,
commonly known as the ‘Sug-
ar Land 95’, were discovered
by a contractor back in Feb-
ruary of 2018 while working
on the initial phase of FBISD’s
planned site of the James Re-
ese Career and Technical Cen-
ter. The game changing de-
cision by FBISD came a week
after the Fort Bend County
Commissioners Court led the
way by unanimously voting
to work with FBISD to come
up with an interlocal agree-
ment to best handle the sa-
cred site where the remains
were found.
In a statement released by
FBISD Board President Jason
Burdine regarding the deci-
sion, he states:
“Fort Bend ISD agrees that
the ‘Sugar Land 95’ need to
be memorialized at the site of
discovery. We have embraced
the offer made by Fort Bend
County to work with us to
create an appropriate memo-
rial for the victims of the con-
vict leasing system. We are
hopeful and optimistic that
by working together with the
County these bodies can be
reinterred so they can rest in
peace. Should we encounter
any obstacles to this solution,
lows the historic cemetery
to operate by a legally autho-
rized entity. We look forward
to working with local elected
officials and community lead-
ers to implement this solution
as quickly as possible and
keep our promise to honor
and educate the public and
future generations about the
95 souls who were previously
lost to history.”
FBISD had been under se-
rious pressure to halt the
construction on the site and
work with community lead-
ers to best address the situ-
ation. Prior to a coalition of
community activists, elected
officials and major stakehold-
ers coming together to advo-
cate on behalf of the ‘Sugar
Land 95’, all indications were
that FBISD was committed to
moving forward with their
construction plans and were
completely disregarding the
requests of many in the com-
munity.
Newly elected Fort Bend
County Judge KP George (D-
TX) stated that from his very
first day in office, he encour-
aged Fort Bend County to
pursue justice for the ‘Sugar
Land 95’ victims.
“I am enthusiastic about
the school board’s decision
to focus on negotiation as op-
posed to legal action or con-
struction on the grave sites,”
said George. “The community
should know that there is still
considerable work to be done,
and I look forward to making
sure that all parties keep jus-
tice for the ‘Sugar Land 95’ as
their guiding principle.”
U.S. Congressman Al Green
(D-TX), who represents con-
stituents in Fort Bend County,
joined in with fellow elected
officials and community activ-
ists to advocate for the ‘Sugar
Land 95’ and believes the deci-
sion to halt construction was
simply the right thing to do.
“I must express my grati-
tude for the righteous com-
munity activists tirelessly
working to ensure these 95
bodies are properly memo-
rialized,” said Congressman
Green. “It is my honor to ad-
vocate for this cause. We have
an opportunity to right a
wrong. This is an opportuni-
ty for us that we will respect
the remains of people and
treat them with dignity. This
is what a great country does.
Let’s bring justice to this cir-
cumstance.”
The discovery of the re-
mains of the ‘Sugar Land 95’
victims, the majority of who
are believed to be former
slaves who were a part of the
state of Texas’ controversial
and inhumane convict-leas-
ing system, could have been
unearthed well before the
contractor found the remains
if people chose to listen to
community activist and histo-
rian Reginald Moore from the
beginning.
Moore, who has served as
the caretaker of the Impe-
rial Farm Cemetery in Fort
Bend County, constantly tried
to inform elected officials,
state employees, community
leaders and FBISD that those
bodies were more than likely
buried on the land where they
eventually were found.
Read the rest of this commentary at
TheSkanner.com
America Reacts to the Tax Surprise
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to
y •
Opinion
he mainstream news has
been covering an inter-
esting story. People who
were expecting signifi-
cant tax refunds are, in very
large numbers, either getting
a minimal refund, no refund
or having to pay the IRS. This,
after the man Spike Lee has
named “Agent Orange” —
Donald Trump — promised a
massive tax benefit for mid-
dle-income people.
When I first starting read-
ing and seeing these stories
I wondered why anyone was
surprised. After all, in the
lead up to Trump’s tax bribe,
economists across the board
were warning that this was a
scam to benefit the rich. They
were telling the average tax-
payer that this was not going
to work to their benefit. And,
while the majority of the pub-
lic has generally opposed the
tax bribe — reform — it was
still the case that the actual
implications of the tax bribe
took too many people by sur-
prise.
Bill
Fletcher Jr.
The Global
African
After more than 40 years of
listening to right-wingers call
for tax cuts and watching the
public’s reaction I have come
to a few conclusions.
“
When it
comes to tax-
es, much of
the public
hears what it
wants to hear
First, when it comes to taxes,
much of the public hears what
it wants to hear. If someone
says that there will be a cut
and they can provide minimal
evidence to that effect, such
an argument can be a winner.
Even when one demonstrates
that it is a lie, the possibility
of tax relief serves as a se-
ductive song that softens the
brain.
Second, there are those who
wish to believe that tax cuts
for the rich really are posi-
tive because they themselves,
despite not being rich, may at
some point be rich. I realize
that this sounds completely
convoluted, but it turns out
that there are those who be-
lieve that they will at some
point in the future be rich
and they do not wish to be pe-
nalized. This is called magical
thinking.
Third, there is a disconnect
in the minds of many people
between public services and
taxes. There is also a racial-
ized element here, by the way.
A friend of mine told me a sto-
ry about arguing with some
Trump supporters and they
were suggesting that they
only wanted to pay for the
things that they needed and
not pay “…for someone else…”
He asked them whether they
drove on roads, pointing out
that those roads were paid for
by the taxes of many people
who may or may not use par-
ticular roads. The discussion
came to an abrupt halt.
Many of us act as if ‘things’
happen on their own and that
they need not be funded. Or,
worse, that our tax money
is being used for allegedly
un-deserving
populations.
Thus, there is a willingness
to go for the right-wing argu-
ments for tax cuts even when
such tax cuts may cut one’s
own throat.
Welcome to another day in
the United States of Agent Or-
ange. Make sure that you test
that bridge before you cross
it. There may not be enough
tax money to keep it standing.
Bill Fletcher, Jr. is the former
president of TransAfrica Fo-
rum. Follow him on Twitter,
Facebook and www.billfletch-
erjr.com. He is the author of
the mystery The Man Who Fell
From the Sky.
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