The Slave Theater was created in 1984, when an African-American Judge bought a defunct theatre in Bedford-Stuyvesant to showcase independent films. However, the cinema space was radually re-appropriated as a center for civil rights activism and community gathering.

Although its boundaries were technically the interior space of 1215 Fulton St, it fostered many protests that swelled out to the street and into other boroughs. These actions helped bring justice to specific hate crimes throughout the 80’s and 90’s.

In 1998, the Slave Theater’s ownership became murky, and through a series of shady dealings, the lot and two adjacent lots were sold to developers. Regardless, local custodians continued to occupy the space and held ticketed local events until 2016, when the city finally fenced it off after part of terrace collapsed, injuring a few people. The building was demolished in 2018 to make way for a new Co-Living Space, which is projected to complete in 2022.