The Sugar Land 95* – SLAVERY BY ANOTHER NAME.

REGINALD WAYNE MOORE (1959-2020)

Reginald Wayne Moore (September 14, 1959 – July 3, 2020) was a prominent American activist, historian, and former prison guard best known for uncovering the Sugar Land 95. His relentless, decades-long efforts exposed the horrors of the post-Civil War convict leasing system in Texas, restoring dignity to forgotten African American laborers.
Early Life and Career 
Born and raised in Houston’s Third Ward, Moore graduated from Jack Yates High School in 1978 and briefly attended college on a football scholarship. After working as a longshoreman, a mid-1980s economic downturn led him to a job as a guard at the Jester State Prison Farm in Fort Bend County.
While working inside the Texas prison system, Moore witnessed conditions that heavily mirrored antebellum slavery. He became the caretaker of the nearby Old Imperial Farm Cemetery, which ignited his lifelong obsession with documenting the state’s brutal history of forced prison labor. In 2006, he founded the Texas Slave Descendants’ Society to advocate for prison reform and historical preservation.
Unearthing the “Sugar Land 95” 
For over twenty years, Moore warned local officials and developers that the bodies of leased Black plantation laborers lay in unmarked graves beneath Sugar Land, Texas.
His predictions were verified in February 2018 during the construction of a Fort Bend Independent School District technology center. Workers discovered the remains of 94 men and one woman—collectively known as the “Sugar Land 95″—who had been leased out by the state to private sugar plantations under horrific conditions.
Legacy and Death
Moore passed away from congestive heart failure on July 3, 2020, at the age of 60.
  • The Convict Leasing and Labor Project: Co-founded by Moore, this organization continues to educate the public about the historical parallels between convict leasing and modern mass incarceration.
  • Research Collection: His extensive historical records, audio testimonies, and research are permanently housed at Rice University to serve future generations of historians.

 

 

LINKS:

 

https://sl95.org

https://www.tsl.texas.gov/exhibits/prisons/convictlease/page3.html

https://www.tsl.texas.gov/exhibits/prisons/convictlease/harlem_farm_dec31_1899.html

https://www.khou.com/article/life/people/sugar-land-95-project-exhibit-opening/285-04766061-d755-4992-8112-8d48a1a124f2

https://www.fortbendisd.com/sugarland95

https://abc13.com/post/fort-bend-county-approves-spending-15m-memorialize-sugar-land-95-decade-remains-were-discovered/18251308/

https://abc13.com/post/sugar-land-95-timeline-of-how-bodies-were-discovered-/4720652/

https://www.fortbendisd.com/sugarland95

https://archaeology.org/issues/november-december-2018/digs-discoveries/trenches-texas-prison-labor/

https://abc13.com/post/sugar-land-95-timeline-of-how-bodies-were-discovered-/4720652/

https://communityimpact.com/houston/sugar-land-missouri-city/education/2022/05/11/sugar-land-95-project-focuses-on-education-remembrance/

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSGRRNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE0WkhqV044YmpGMVFxYUpPc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkHDdZMZatXMnSUoCWG1vD-HQvdWjtYp3N43O-RFOwplKzheWGTPTUWV6qCk_aem_EL-sfMZI_tqg0-i-U7Oa2A

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/02/12/the-dark-history-behind-sugar-land-how-convict-leasing-built-the-city-and-the-legacy-of-the-sugar-land-95/

Can descendants of the Sugar Land 95 be found? We start our genealogical journey

https://time.com/5405158/the-true-history-of-americas-private-prison-industry/

 

 

EDUCATIONAL/Research – No copyright infringement intended.

© Dale Ricardo Shields (2026)

 

 

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iforcolor

ARCHIVIST, EDUCATOR, HISTORIAN, and ARTiST
Dale Ricardo Shields is highly accomplished African American actor, director, producer, and educator with a distinguished career in theatre and academia.

Here's a summary of his background and achievements:

Early Life and Family:
Born on November 4, 1952, in Cleveland, Ohio.
His family has a strong musical background; his grandfather and father were founding members of the Shields Brothers Gospel Quartet of Ohio, and his mother was part of the Turner Gospel Singers.
He is a cousin of boxing promoter Don King.
Education:
Graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 1970.
Holds both a BFA (1975) and MFA (1995) from Ohio University.

Career and Contributions
Theatre Professional:
Actor: Has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, and in regional productions. His television credits include The Cosby Show, Another World, Guiding Light, Saturday Night Live, and the ITV series Special Needs. He has also appeared in commercials and films.
Director and Stage Manager: Has extensive professional credits in these roles, including projects at Lincoln Center, The Henry Street Settlement House (New Federal Theatre), The Negro Ensemble Company, and The Joseph Papp Public Theatre.
Assistant Director: Served as assistant to Lloyd Richards and assistant director for the New Federal Theatre premiere of Ossie Davis's play A Last Dance With Sybil starring Ruby Dee and Earl Hyman.

Educator:
Professor: He is a Professor of Acting, Directing, Black Theatre, Black Studies, and Stage Management. He has taught at various institutions, including Ohio University, The College of Wooster, Denison University, Macalester College, Susquehanna University (as artist-in-residence), and SUNY Potsdam.
Workshops and Programs: Conducted workshops for Joseph Papp's Playwriting in the Schools Program (PITS) at The Public Theatre for six seasons and represented the United States at the ASSITEJ Theatre Festival in London, England, in 1988.
Artistic Activist and Historian:

Iforcolor.org: Creator and archivist for the Black History website Iforcolor.org, dedicated to preserving and sharing information about African Americans and artists of color. He also maintains the "Black Theatre/African American Voices" website on Facebook.
Project1VOICE Liaison: Serves as the Project1VOICE Liaison for the state of Ohio, directing "One Play One Day" events in Cleveland since 2011.

Awards and Recognition:
The Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award: Recipient in 2017.
Paul Robeson Award: Recipient in 2021 (jointly presented by the Actors' Equity Association and Actors' Equity Foundation).
AUDELCO/"VIV" Special Achievement Award: Received in 2017.
Tony Award Nominee: Nominated for the "Excellence in Theatre Education Award" in 2015 and 2017.
Ebony Bobcat Network (EBN) Legend Award: Received from Ohio University in 2022.
ENCORE AWARD / The Actors Fund: Received in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2024.
Outstanding Professor Awards: Has received two of these and three "Educational Program of the Year" awards as a university professor.
The HistoryMakers archives: Interviewed and included in The HistoryMakers archives, permanently housed in the Library of Congress.
Dale Ricardo Shields is recognized for his profound impact on the lives of his students and his unwavering dedication to preserving and promoting Black theatre history and culture.