KENDLETON, Texas — On this Juneteenth weekend, volunteers in Fort Bend County are cleaning up historic Black gravesites.
The sites, located in Bates Allen Park, hold the remains of former slaves who founded the City of Kendleton. The first Black state representative and the first African-American sheriff in the United States are among those buried there.
“It's important that on this day, Juneteenth, that we're paying homage to these heroes who came before us to really start this community here in Fort Bend County that we still enjoy today,” Ft. Bend County Precinct 4 Constable Dexter L. McCoy said.
“I wanted the kids to know that you can do acts of kindness without wanting to receive anything and it's part of a bigger picture how you're helping the world,” volunteer Lisa Walling added.
Final plans for an African-American memorial near the gravesites will be announced in the fall.