Thread by @brookelewisa

It's hard to overstate how big of a deal this is. Community members have been pushing for MONTHS for the remains to stay at the site & the school district to not build where they were discovered.
houstonchronicle.com/neighborhood/f…

This was the first story I wrote about this and I had no clue that it would take months for this to unfold. houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…

Community members have served on the Sugar Land's cemetery task force & also the district's advisory committee. Many have pleaded with school & city officials for this kind of resolution. The school district has consistently said that it would cost $18 million to change course.

Yesterday the school district said they had canceled their plans to build where the remains were discovered & were halting all legal action. A memorial park and cemetery is part of the plan for the site but it remains to be seen what that looks like & how it will all play out.

For background on the convict-leasing system and on this story---read this houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…

It seems the tide began to turn when elected officials sent a letter to school district officials earlier this month asking them to keep the remains at the site & halt construction.
houstonchronicle.com/neighborhood/f…

Then, the same elected officials showed up at a school board meeting. U.S. Rep Al Green pleaded during public comment that they come to an agreement that could honor the 95 remains. Now, the county & the school district are in negotiations.
houstonchronicle.com/neighborhood/f…