Rev. Dr. William Barber II on Friday described the strong emotions he felt when asked to leave a movie theater in Greenville, North Carolina, this week.
Officers with the Greenville Police Department were called to the AMC Fire Tower 12 movie theater Tuesday afternoon about a customer arguing with staff.
Barber, who was there to see the movie “The Color Purple” with his mother, was escorted out of the theater by an officer after he tried to use his own chair in the handicapped section of the theater.
The pastor and former president of the NAACP was in tears Friday as he described bringing his 90-year-old mother to the theater – his Christmas gift to her.
"We went to enjoy the music and the story of that movie of triumph over adversity,” he said, explaining the outing was particularly special for his mother, who worked with his father to help integrate public schools.
Seeing the movie was part of a week-long celebration, Barber said, as his mother will receive the Order of the Long Leaf Pine this weekend.
“Our plans were interrupted when the managers chose to call the police rather than accommodate my visible disability,” said Barber, who has suffered from ankylosis spondylitis, a rare and painful form of arthritis, for decades.
“I cannot bend to sit in a low chair nor rise from a low position,” Barber added.
Barber reminded the crowd how frustrating and frightening it can be to be disabled. He discussed the battles people with disabilities face, including opioid addiction and depression.
“People can say some of the ugliest things when you are disabled,” Barber said, recalling that once he heard a man say he looked like he should be in a hospital bed rather than at the pulpit.
Barber said “none of us knew a week ago” he would be speaking Friday before inviting people with disabilities to join him in seats beside the podium.
“Think about all the people in your family, your jobs, your churches, your community who are different … but just like you were created in the image of God,” Barber said. "This is about plain ol' simple humanity."
Tuesday's emotionally charged encounter was caught on camera, and some witnesses in the theater were not happy with what they observed.
"Keep filming," says a voice from behind the camera.
Another voice says, "See what they do to people? This is Bishop Barber."
Barber on Friday called for more awareness, education and policy changes, arguing the police officers who responded should have felt entitled to refuse the AMC managers' requests.
Barber also touched briefly on race, describing the danger of someone calling the police about a Black man arguing -- which then elicited an armed police response.
Barber, who has a bone disease, cannot sit in a regular chair due to pain in his hips. He walks with two canes, and an assistant carries a special chair so he can sit everywhere he goes.
Barber said he has used his special medical chair while in Broadway shows, as well as the White House. In the video, he addresses the camera, appearing surprised to have been asked to leave because of his chair.
"They called an officer of the law, the AMC theater in Greenville, North Carolina," he says to the camera. "They would not make amends to simply do the right thing. But we'll deal with it."
The video then shows Barber shaking hands with an officer. The video shows a police officer saying, "Sorry for the way this turned out."
The theater later apologized to the civil rights leader, with AMC Chairman and CEO Adam Aron calling Barber to arrange to meet with him in person next week.
AMC released this statement, "AMC welcomes guests with disabilities. We have a number of accommodations in place at our theaters at all times, and our theater teams work hard to accommodate guests who have needs that fall outside the normal course of business. We encourage guests who require special seating to speak with a manager in advance to see what can best be accommodated at the theater to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for the guest and those around them. We are also reviewing our policies with our theater teams to help ensure situations like this do not occur again."
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