Slave Theater facts for kids
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Slave I
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Street view of the Slave Theater marquee, before the theater was demolished in 2016
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| Former names | Regent Theater |
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| Address | 1215 Fulton Street |
| Location | Brooklyn, New York 11216 |
| Coordinates | 40°40′50″N 73°57′10″W / 40.680677°N 73.952772°W |
| Type | Movie theater |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1910 |
| Opened | 1986 |
| Closed | 2012 |
| Demolished | 2016 |
The Slave Theater, also known as the Slave I, was a movie theater in Brooklyn, New York City. It was located at 1215 Fulton Street in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood.
A Brooklyn judge named John Phillips opened the theater in 1984. He wanted to show a film he had made. The theater quickly became an important place for people working on civil rights in Brooklyn.
Judge Phillips chose the name "Slave Theater" to remind people of slavery. He wanted to highlight this part of African-American history. While some people in the community had mixed feelings about the name, the theater became a symbol of Black pride in Brooklyn.
After Judge Phillips passed away, there was a long legal fight over who owned the theater. It was eventually sold in 2013 and taken down in late 2016.
Contents
The Slave Theater: A Special Place
How the Theater Started
In 1984, Judge John Phillips, who worked in the Brooklyn civil court, bought an old building. This building used to be a movie theater called the Regent Theater, built in 1910. Judge Phillips changed its name to the Slave Theater.
He had made a movie about a romance between people of different backgrounds. When he couldn't find other theaters to show his film, he decided to buy two theaters in Brooklyn himself. He renamed one of them the Slave Theater. He wanted the name to be a strong reminder to everyone about where they came from.
A Hub for Civil Rights
In the late 1980s, after some unfair events happened in other parts of New York, Judge Phillips opened the Slave Theater. He wanted it to be a safe and active space for the local Black community. It became a center for important civil rights work.
For example, Al Sharpton, a well-known civil rights leader, started holding weekly meetings at the theater. Many people believe these meetings helped increase civil rights efforts in Brooklyn. The Slave Theater was also a meeting point for marches and speeches. One example was after the trial related to the murder of Yusef Hawkins in August 1989.
Challenges and Changes
Around 2001, Judge Phillips became unwell. He passed away in 2008. Because he did not have a will, the Slave Theater faced an unclear legal future. It also lost its funding.
Over time, the theater began to fall apart. In 2012, the city of New York ordered it to be closed. This happened after part of the building was damaged. A local group called the New Brooklyn Theatre tried to raise money to buy the theater. They started a Kickstarter campaign when it was put up for sale in 2012.
Clarence Hardy, who was the theater's manager and a friend of Judge Phillips, also claimed ownership. He and his son Omar had been living in the building for many years. They said that Judge Phillips had given them the theater in 1999.
A judge later decided that Judge Phillips was not in a sound state of mind when he supposedly gave the property to the Hardys. So, ownership of the theater went to Judge Phillips's nephew, Rev. Samuel L. Boykin. Rev. Boykin planned to have the Hardys and a church that was renting space leave the building.
In August 2013, Rev. Boykin sold the theater to a group called Fulton Halsey Development Group for $2.1 million. This happened before the Hardys could finish their appeal. Clarence Hardy tried to stop the theater from being torn down. He even protested by standing on the roof. Other people who were against new developments changing the neighborhood also protested.
However, in December 2016, the new owner, Industrie Capital Partners, tore down the Slave Theater. They planned to build new homes and businesses there. In 2019, a company from London bought the land where the theater stood. They have said they are working on a plan to remember the history of the Slave Theater in their new development.
Theater Design and Art
Outside the Theater
Judge Phillips made one main change to the outside of the theater. He put up the famous black-and-white sign, or marquee, that said "Slave Theater." This sign became a well-known part of the building.
Inside the Theater
Inside the Slave Theater, Judge Phillips had local artists paint murals. These murals were large paintings on the walls. They showed heroes from Black history, such as Toussaint Louverture, Marcus Garvey, and Malcolm X. There was even a mural of Bruce Lee.
