Node Quickview

Commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Compton's Cafeteria Riot with the opening of the exhibition The Unbuilding Archive: Liberated Futures for the Site of Compton's Cafeteria Riot curated by co-curators Chandra Laborde and Ach Kabal of the TurkxTaylor Initiative. Laborde and Kabal will introduce the exhibit and talk about how they unbuild carceral power through the archive, starting with the building’s current carceral occupation, tracing its transformation back to its construction in 1908 and grounding the work in the land itself by honoring the Ramaytush Ohlone stewardship. 

The 1966 Compton’s Cafeteria Riot was the earliest well-documented militant acts of resistance by trans and queer people against police violence. Today, that same building at 101-121 Taylor Street is occupied by GEO Group, the largest private prison corporation in the country and main contractor with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Connect:

TurkxTaylor Initiative - website | ComptonsxCoalition Initiative - Instagram

Chandra Laborde - website | Ach Kab - Instagram

Bios:

The TurkxTaylor Initiative (TxT) is an ad hoc group that has come together to liberate Compton’s historic site and envision an alternative future, one that honors its legacy of resistance. TxT has convened the Compton’s x Coalition (CxC), a cross-movement alliance committed to transitioning the site to community stewardship. CxC approaches commemoration as a living practice tied to community building and collective imagination.

Chandra Laborde (she/they) is a queer buddhist architect, architectural theorist, and historian. She is a doctoral candidate in the History, Theory and Society Program in the Architecture Department at the University of California, Berkeley, with a Designated Emphasis in Gender and Women’s Studies. Her research examines the intersections of gender, ecology, justice and the built environment.

Ach Kab (they/them) is a butch arab dyke worker with the Industrial Workers of the World. Their practice is grounded in deep support and collaboration, working primarily as an arts administrator, theater electrician, production manager and grant writer. They love to dance, craft, swim, wrestle, play the banjo, explore secrets and listen.