Foreclosure Auction Set for Slave Theater

Mired in legal infighting and with a tax lien of $190,106 hanging over its head, the historic Slave Theater at 1215 Fulton Street in Bed Stuy has gone into foreclosure and is set to be auctioned off at Aug. 9 at 2:30 pm, according to PropertyShark. The putative owner is Rev. Samuel Boykin of Ohio, nephew of Judge John L. Phillips Jr., who bought the theater in 1984 and named it to remind Black people of their history. Filled with African-American political art, the theater hosted speakers and showed films of, by, and about Black people. Phillips died without a will, and ownership of the theater has been contested by two former associates of the judge, Clarence Hardy and Rev. Paul Lewis. At one point, Boykin said he hoped to sell the building for $3 million. Any bets what it’ll fetch if the auction goes through?
Slave Theater Vacated, but Questions of Ownership Linger [Brownstoner]
Bed Stuy’s Slave Theater Still Looking for Buyer [Brownstoner] GMAP
Photo by Hobo Matt