The African American Memorial at Bates M. Allen Park seeks to recognize and memorialize the contributions of African Americans in Fort Bend County, Texas. In 2018, less than 30 miles from the planned memorial park, a previously unknown burial ground was unearthed during a construction project. The remains of 95 African Americans believed to be the deceased inmates of a nearby prison, subjected to a convict-leasing program beginning in the late 1800s, were found. This unjust convict-leasing system provided labor to nearby wealthy plantation owners in the area following the abolition of slavery in 1865.  In addition, Fort Bend County has official accounts of lynching and an African-American history that ranges from accounts of lynching, slavery, convict leasing, and the establishment of Freedmen's Town. The County recognizes the historical injustices suffered by African Americans, the significance of their contributions, and the opportunity to share these untold stories. 

Acknowledging these histories and tragic events, the new memorial and park seeks to create a public space of reverence, celebration, and storytelling. An initial $4 million investment at Bates M. Allen Park in Kendleton, Texas — one of the first freedmen's towns in Texas, founded in the 1860s — will preserve two historic Black cemeteries and create a new monument. The 14-acre memorial park within the overall 236-acre park will feature a series of trails connecting the two historic Black cemeteries, Newman Chapel Cemetery and Oak Hill Cemetery, to a Juneteenth Plaza, a reflection pond, a three-story monument, and a future community learning center. 

The new three-story African American Memorial at Bates M. Allen Park acknowledges the divisions caused by slavery and the African diaspora by exploring the concept of fragmentation and the African American story, unearthing a collective and unique history of freedom. Guided by stakeholders, selected Adinkra symbols are incorporated throughout the precast facades of the monument. The symbols originate from the Akan people and culture, originally from Sudan, and in present-day Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Togo. The Akan subgroups share common cultural attributes, including the tracing of matrilineal descent in the inheritance of property and for succession to high political office. The symbols selected demonstrate the richness of Akan culture and serve as a shorthand for communicating profound truths in visual form. The six symbols selected represent authority and leadership; wisdom of the past to inform the future; endurance, defiance, and resourcefulness; unity and community; God's presence and protection; and hardiness and perseverance. 

The reflecting pond with a plinth, or a continuous circle of foundational stones, is the planned location for a historical marker from the Equal Justice Initative's National Memorial for Peace and Justice's Community Remembrance Project. EJI's Community Remembrance Project memorializes documented victims of racial violence throughout history. From 1877-1950, four documented racial terror lynchings took place in Fort Bend County. Spaces for engagement, such as a community learning center and garden, acknowledge the trauma caused by the county's convict leasing program and honor prominent African Americans in the county, creating opportunities for collective healing.