The then named Regent Theater was already a century-old when Judge Phillip bought and renamed it in early 1980s. According to the NY Times, it was called Slave No. 1 Theater "so that no one would ever forget our struggles . . . or what we, as black people, have gone through." Judge Phillips also turned the inside of the Regent into an homage to African-American history. The walls are lined with portraits of Malcolm X, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Marcus Garvey and Kwame Nkrumah, the founder of Ghana.

The Slave Theater became famous outside the neighborhood as a nationwide icon of activism starting in the 1980's and hosted speeches and rallies by such nationally know figures as the Reverend Al Sharpton. After the illness of Judge Phillips the theatre went unused, a situation many wish to reverse and bring it back to its former glory as a vital part of the community.

Brenda Fryson, chairwoman of Brooklyn's Community Board 3 who is a leader in the effort to get landmark status for the theater was quoted in the NY Times as saying "The Slave Theater is definitely a community treasure . . . It really is a great part of our history in this neighborhood."

Mr. Pop Gaskins: 347-744-7848 PopGaskins1@aol.com or Mr. Kazembe Batts: 718-415-4712 universalhiphopparade@yahoo.com