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N.C. civil rights leader plans to sue a Greenville movie theater over ouster from Purple Rain showing

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published December 19, 2024 at 7:29 AM EST
The Rev. William Barber II speaks during the virtual Poor People's Campaign on Saturday.
Screenshot by NPR
/
C-SPAN
The Rev. William Barber II speaks during the virtual Poor People's Campaign on Saturday.

A North Carolina civil rights leader plans to sue a Greenville movie theater after he was escorted out because he lives with a disability.

Bishop William Barber II was attending a screening of “The Color Purple” with his 90-year-old mother at the AMC Fire Tower 12 theater the day after Christmas last year, and he said he was escorted out by two Greenville Police officers after managers of the movie theater said the special chair he needed for medical reasons was a fire hazard.

Barber has been diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis that causes inflammation in the joints and ligaments of the spine.

He met with the chairman and CEO of the movie chain a few days after it happened, and later announced that he turned the matter over to national civil rights attorney Harry Daniels.
Annette Weston
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
See stories by Annette Weston