Magazine, The Immigrant Experience
As community members filled the Del Aire Park Community Center for a pivotal Racial Justice Learning Exchange (RJLE) hosted by LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, the gathering—aptly titled “The Journey of Us: Honoring the Diverse Immigrant Stories that Shape Us”—unfolded as more than an event. It became a shared space for truth-telling, reflection, and quiet resistance. Among the most powerful moments were the testimonies of Abigail Lopez Byrd and Marquell Byrd, married co-founders of Hello Compton and the Compton Art & History Museum, whose words grounded the room in lived experience and collective memory.
Through their deeply personal immigrant family stories and community-rooted art, the Byrds offered more than a narrative—they delivered a call to use history, culture, and creativity as tools for collective healing and civic transformation.
From Family Legacy to Civic Leadership
Abigail, born and raised in Compton, shared her powerful story as a daughter of Mexican immigrants. Her parents arrived in the U.S. during the Reagan era, obtained amnesty, and immediately began helping their extended family settle and secure legal status. Her childhood home became a hub for newly arrived relatives—a testament to grassroots community-building powered by faith, sacrifice, and shared struggle.
“My parents risked everything,” Abigail said. “Even after getting their green cards, they brought over siblings, cousins—whoever needed help. That’s where I learned what civic engagement really means.”
That ethic of service became the foundation for her nonprofit and museum work—using art not just to beautify, but to illuminate, educate, and humanize.
Preserving Black and Brown Histories Through Art
Marquell Byrd, filmmaker, educator, and museum builder, echoed the same passion. “We use art as a tool to preserve history—especially stories that are often erased or rewritten,” he explained. “Whether it’s oral storytelling or photography, we want to document life as it’s happening—so people know this isn’t ancient history. This is now.”
Their museum in Compton, opened in 2023, was a literal labor of love—Marquell laid the floors himself. And when a June 7 protest erupted just blocks from their home, the Byrds didn’t just witness it—they archived it. They turned their museum into an exhibition space that amplified the immigrant and community voices often silenced.
One piece read: “MISSING – Detained by ICE.” A mirror beneath the text forced visitors to confront the terrifying reality that anyone—documented or not—could be next.
Marquell Byrd
Intersection of Art, Immigration, and Urgency
Their exhibit Boundless: The Unending Sound of Resistance features work from community members, including a contributor who had been detained by ICE days before submitting his work. “He brought his nieces with him—for protection,” Marquell said. “He’s a U.S. citizen, a PhD student. And still, he was held for over 23 hours. That’s the trauma we’re talking about.”
The Byrds believe that the role of institutions—especially those rooted in community—must include holding space for immigrant stories and collective trauma. “Our pillars are identity, history, art, and community,” Abigail said. “When people see themselves reflected in exhibitions, when they learn about Dolores Huerta, when they connect local history to larger systems—they realize this fight is shared, and this pain is not isolated.”
Why Their Work Matters Now
In a time when policy continues to criminalize immigrants and erase cultural narratives, the Byrds’ museum stands as an alternative archive—one that preserves truth, joy, pain, and resilience from the ground up. Their work underscores the urgent need for spaces where Black and Brown communities can see their stories honored and where youth can process trauma through creation.
As Marquell shared, “None of us are exempt. Having papers doesn’t mean you’re safe. That’s why this work—this history—can’t wait.”
To witness their story and the exhibit firsthand, watch the full video here
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