GREENVILLE, NC - Public theologian and civil rights leader Bishop William Barber II will be attending a private viewing of the new Michael Jackson biopic Michael with a number of individuals with disabilities he’s invited to join him at the AMC Fire Tower 12 theater in Greenville, NC (1685 E Fire Tower Rd.) on Sunday, May 17 at 3:00 PM.
Many will remember that AMC Fire Tower 12 theater is the same theater that called law enforcement and removed Bishop Barber on December 26, 2023 for using the specialized chair necessary to accommodate a painful health condition as he attended a showing of The Color Purple with his 90-year-old mother.
The incident and federal lawsuit that followed drew national attention for the theater’s treatment of Barber in violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act. Barber is afflicted with ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis which causes inflammation in the joints and ligaments of the spine. That lawsuit has since been resolved.
“Too many men, women and children across our country face serious pain and physical obstacles every single day and, too often, those obstacles keep us from doing the simple things many Americans take advantage of,” said Barber. “This private viewing isn’t about me or that night in December 2023. It’s about standing in solidarity with those individuals. It’s about saying that your disability doesn’t define you.”