So my name is Reverend Andrew Shu and I’m the senior Minister here at First Christian Church and we are delighted to welcome each and every one of you here indeed it is an honor to welcome my brother and Christ and I would just it was interesting as I was talking to a
Member of the media earlier uh Dr Barber if we go back Reverend Dr Barbara and his father have been part of our denomination for years and years and years and as a matter of fact your father wrote the book of history for our church and so there’s a lot of great
History there and so we’re delighted to be able to come here today and to welcome him and so as we welcome each and every one of you we’d like to do so with a word of prayer most gracious and holy God we honor you and we thank you that you are
Always with us where two or three are gathered in your name that you will be in our midst and you will bless us so as we assemble here in this house of worship today we ask that you would truly be in our midst and that you would
Encourage us that you would continue to help us as we plot forth ways that we can make a difference in this world ways that we can show love and kindness to one another we ask that you would help us as we walk in the footsteps of Jesus
The Christ who went door too making sure that everyone felt the love and the compassion of the God that he worshiped and so we thank you this day that we can assemble in this place and that we can continue to do your work we ask that you
Would bless each and every person here and that you would remind us that you are always with us we ask all these things in your holy and precious name amen amen God of heavens and god of Earth we thank you again for the blessings of the
Of this a brand new day we ask you to come and be in the mix of us we ask that you would bless all of us as we continue to work award awareness awareness in our community is ongoing and we thank you for the Divine guidance and the
Leadership of Bishop Barbara we pray that you will bless all of those that are concerned about our fellow man and we are mindful of the least of these bless us now and bless us in this moment and in this season and thank you for your Divine guidance and direction in
The work that we have been called and anointed to do in Jesus name amen amen we are so thankful for all who have gathered here and our brothers and sisters in the differently abled disabled we say various things but what we always say is we will not be excluded
Or pushed aside uh that day is over and to start us for this press conference we have invited Maria town who is the national president of the American Association for persons with disabilities we invited her to come and clarify the law what the Ada actually says you know the Ada was hard fault
Pasted in 1990 and it tracks the Civil Rights Act of 1964 people were arrested people were beaten people were jailed people got thrown out of theaters thrown out of restaurants for this law to exist Maria towns is the president CEO of the American Association of people with
Disability her role is to increase the political and economic power of people with disabilities prior to this she served as the Director of the city of Houston mayor’s office for people with disability where she advocated for the rights and the needs of citizens with disability she serves as the lerson between the
Mayor of the city council and other departments she also is the former senior associate director in the Obama White House Office of Public engagement where she managed a White House engagement with the disabled community and old and older Americans she has stood and moved nationally and internationally on these matters she knows it
Firsthand as a person who uh thrives and continues to push forward with sha paly and as another of our family of differently able people who refuse to be denied and refuse to be told we have to go sit somewhere outside of the regular goings on of this Society she’s coming
Now at this press conference to actually talk talk about the law she reached out to me the moment she heard this and I’m thankful for her for doing that to let us know that this so American Association for peoples with disabilities were fully uh uh supportive
Of helping to explain the law and being very clear this is not about personality this really is fundamentally about policy so sister towns if you would address this press conference there are numerous media here this morning uh and those who are following us online uh nationally and otherwise and we invite
You to do so at this time would you all folks on the screen thank you Bishop Barber for asking me to be here today um just confirming that everyone can hear me again as the bishop mentioned to my pronouns are she her for Access purposes I’m go to provide a
Visual description of of myself I’m a white woman with long brown hair and I’m wearing red lipstick and as Bishop mentioned I’m proud to serve as the president and CEO of the American Association of people with disabilities or aapd aapd is a national disability Le cross disability civil rights
Organization and through our programming and policy work we seek to increase the political and economic power of the more than 60 million disabled people across the United States disabled people have fought for centuries for the right to exist in public safely and freely the Americans with Disabilities
Act of the Ada was a major victory in our continued struggle for inclusion equity and Justice despite this transformative civil rights law being over 30 years old disabled people still regularly encounter discrimination and barriers that prevent our participation in public life employment education and More in addition to non-compliance with
The law there are entities that aren’t required to comply with the Ada uh like this church where this press conference is taking place all too often when disabled people assert our decades old civil rights to exist in public we are made to feel like we should be grateful for even the
Slightest bit of access right we are shamed for taking up space and made to feel like burdens and in the worst cases we are criminalized when I learned about what happened to Bishop Barber when he tried to take his 90-year-old motherhood to see The Color Purple I was reminded of the frequent
Experiences of death heart appearing and blind people who go to the movies only to find out that the required captioning or audio description devices are not wor working and theater staff do not know how to fix the equipment I was reminded of this past July when US senator Tammy Duckworth
Could not go to see the Barbie movie with her daughters because there was no publicly available information about the movie theater’s sole elevator being out of order before she brought her PL tickets and brought her family to the movies dressed in her best Barbie pink outfit Senator Duckworth had to sit outside
While her daughter’s wenten saw the movie when I heard about Bishop Harbor’s experience specifically the escalation to police involvement I was relieved that he came away alive and physically uninjured because I was reminded of Ethan sailor Ethan sailor was a 26-year-old man with Down Syndrome who routinely
Went to the movies with his personal care attendant in January of 2013 Ethan went to see Zero Dark 30 and he never came home after the movie ended while his caregiver was pulling the car around e went back into the theater to see the movie again he hadn’t purchased another
Ticket and the theater the manager informed him that he had to or he would be required to leave as a result of his intellectual disability Ethan did not understand nor handle money he returns to his seat in the theater and sat Qui L at that point the theater manager contacted security and
The guards who appeared on the scene were two opy Sheriff’s officers who had second jobs as Mall security Ethan’s caregiver tried to explain to the officers that he had Down syndrome and asked them not to touch him she asked to go to Ethan to be with him
To help explain what was happening and diffuse the situation but she was not allowed to do so the officers forcibly removed Ethan from his seat handcuffed him and wrestled him to the ground Witnesses reported that Ethan used some of his spinal breaths to shout mommy it hurts before everything went
SL during the interaction with depues Ethan’s Lear was fractured and his death was red a homicide as a result ofation H had the theater staff and the sheriff’s deputies treated Ethan and his Aid with dignity he might still be alive today and his family and his community would
Not continue to grieve the loss of a beloved Son since Ethan’s death there have been changes made to police it and how police interact with people with disabilities in his home state of Maryland in proving training for First Responders again specifically focusing on interactions with people with disabilities this along with the greater
Awareness of the realities of police interactions with disabled people makes me hopeful that something positive can come out of the situation that Bishop Barber experienced and in that spirit I wanted to take this opportunity to share information about some of what the Ada requires when disabled people go to
Movies t three of The Americans of disability disa prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability within places of public accommodation and that covers movie theaters auditoriums and in 2010 the Ada standards and guidelines for accessible design kind of auditoriums and theater were actually updated to become more inclusive than the original standards
Created in 1991 movie goers does not have to provide doc ation of their disability in order to be accommodated further theaters may not ask for gruit of disability or ask what an individual’s disability is what they can ask is if someone is purchasing tickets for someone who has Mobility disability or
Someone who needs the particular accessible features of a seat tickets for accessible seats must be available for purchase d ways as the purchase of other tickets you shouldn’t have to call a certain number during a particular set of hours to purchase an accessible ticket when everyone else can
Go online for example and purchase tickets whenever they want that’s right the A8 requires that wheelchair spaces must be dis of the theater so that any movie go like myself should not be Seg as a Maria we’re having a little bit of trouble with the signal maintain the equipment necessary to close captioning and audio description when showing a film that’s made available with these featur and they must noted availability of teachers fors we must also ensure that app to assist disabled patrons the
Equipment before and after the movie movie theaters must also make reasonable accommodate reasonable modifications to their policies practices or procedures when making such a modification is necessary to create equal participation and access for a person with a disability in this this instance enjoying a film such reasonable modifications are not necessarily
Spelled out in official standards but are determined on an individual basis by individual theaters that’s right on an individual basis we know that it is only a matter of time and I’m just able El enough to live a good you will become dis even if you do not
Think this information relates to you now hopefully it will someday and I encourage everyone people with disabilities and those who have yet to become disabled to learn more about the disability Community disability culture and disability related civil rights so that we may all come together to create a more inclusive society that accepts
People people as they are at every stage of their life thank you Bishop back to you as you can hear and see this is serious serious business it’s about policy it’s not about personality it’s about policy and I wanted you to hear it first from someone who who does it every
Day and lives out in an objective way and fights subjectively for rights her own as well as others at the end of the press conference I want ask my dear friend Virginia to respond who’s with the uh North Carolina disability Community is that right Virginia and just one moment after myself and
Attorney Daniels I want you to respond in some ways to what you’ve heard now we’re in this church as you heard Maria say one of the great sins of the church is we have fought in the church not this church but some people in the faith community have fought against churches being
Required uh to make room for persons with disabilities uh I intend to be more engaged on that matter because the scriptures tell us Luke 14:2 he said also to the man who had invited him when you give a dinner or a banquet do not invite your friends or
Your brothers or your relatives or your Rich neighbors lest they also invite you in return and you be paid but when you give a feast when you give a public event invite the poor the crippled the lame the Blind and then you will be blessed that we are not blessed as a
Society unless we make room for an inclusive Society for everybody and it says invite them because they cannot repay you but you be repaid at the resurrection of the just now I said some things the other day I want to reiterate to call the police and an armed security guard whom
I have no idea what his training was and to suggest that there is somebody big and black and whatever uh engaging and disturbing my frat brother sitting right over there was out there he know I didn’t fight nobody I didn’t throw nothing at anybody I did what I was
Taught as an alpha to stand up what right but it could have escalated into something more dangerous you just heard how a disabled person ended up dead but let me say here that the police in this instance were asked to do something they should have never been asked to do and they did
Handle it professionally I’ve spoken with the Greenville chief of police who’s been gracious and kind and attended he’s also offered to sit down and meet with the group of clergy of different faiths to talk about how they can even do more um to affect positive changes particular for those persons with PE
With disabilities who were differently able um and things that we can be done in every city and in this city particularly I want to reiterate I am not ashamed of being differently abled I wasn’t always that way it was a time vanity and some other things because
People can make you feel some kind of way about having a diff difficulty or disability of being differently able I know remember I was once told by a preacher you might as well find another profession because no nobody wants a large preacher and he didn’t say it that
Nicely I thank God that my congregation and God didn’t see it that way and I spent 30 years pasturing building a community but Israel Jacob who became Israel was crippled we in Good Company when we are differently able St Paul greatest writer of the New Testament was different than AEL handicap
Harriet Tubman was handicapped President Roosevelt the Franklin who all served almost four term the longest serving president in the history of this country was different able was disable and had a special chair before Ada that was made a specially for him and special braces so that when he stood
Up he could talk to the American people people and lead us through World War II and the Great Depression Helen Keller the American Author political activist was the first deaf and deaf and blind person to earn a bachelor’s degree she wrote 12 published books including her own spiritual
Autobiography and she was differently a she campaigned for women’s rights and labor rights and in 1964 she got the presidential medal of freedom but Helen Keller would have been in this crowd Fanny ler who came up with the phrase sometimes you get sick and tired of being sick and tired what’s different that
Able po Ling everywhere you look and in some degree as a gospel preacher Jesus was differently able because the Bible says he was acquainted with sorrow he was wounded he was broken he was bruised not ashame and I’m not ashamed of the chair I have to use there was a time I was
I didn’t like have to carry something that looked different but I’ve grown to not be ashamed and this chair ought to have tags on it when I go to Broadway to see The Lion King or Hamilton and the man is right over there who’s carried it in they never told me
It was a problem or or a fire hazard they made the accommodation I know you can’t take a fire hazard in the White House most protected building in the world this chair made it through that security not one time but numerous times even near the place where the oal office
Is this chair has been in pull pits and churches I don’t brag about it I’m just a country boy from Pine Woods North Carolina but I preached at the National Cathedral the the nation’s pull pit at least twice classroom movies restaurant never had a problem when teraji Henson you all
Remember when he PR previewed her movie here the best of enemies this same chair was with me when I went there to to remember my dear sister an and talked on the stage with her this same chair not ashamed of this chair what i is shameful though for me
Is in the midst of all the real stuff we have to be dealing with coming over here this morning hearing another report about poverty and how many people live in pover the fourth leading cause of death 87 million people either uninsured or underinsured uh a child killing an adult on the
TV uh War here war in Ukraine war here war in God war in Israel hatred everywhere somebody hates you because you’re Jewish hat you because you’re Muslim hates you because you’re gay presidential candidates talking about they want to be dictators and all kinds of craziness we have real stuff to
Be dealing with besides blocking people from seeing a movie he Bop when it’s the law that you have to make not the least amount of accommodation but reasonable and reasonable Mar and I were talking about means you use some reason means you sit think how can we do
This not how can’t we do it but how can we do it all I wanted to do was spend a very sentimental time with my 90-year old mother whom I may never get to do again because that movie will not be in the theaters during Christmas the truth of
The matter is you know I was telling Bishop blow I Carri titles like professor and Bishop and Reverend and pastor and doctor that night all I wanted to be was son that’s all I wanted to be bop I didn’t even dress like I normally dress
Most of y’all seen me I put on some sweatpants I had a think a hoodie cuz I didn’t want to I just did I didn’t want anybody to ask me nothing about civil rights or anything that particular night I just wanted to go with my
Mama who asked me to do this with her cuz she said I don’t know how much longer I got here to be here with you can you come off the road and it was one just like this past weekend I was in West Virginia where they found a hundred people have died in
West Virginia prison the last 10 years and one young man they beat him so bad he had a heart attack they lied and said he died from a heart attack but now we found out that the beatings killed him and six men have been indicted two plead
Guilty and then was there with a white woman whose father was beaten they allowed the inmates to beat him till he died over his food I’m just coming in from that and similarly that weekend I had come off the road and I just want y’all ever just
Wanted to be with your mom or your loved one I had no idea I Haven thinking about it it wasn’t even on my mind which is why when the young lady said you can’t bring that chair in here I said oh excuse me I know it doesn’t look like I
Know I take this with me it’s Ada and that’s all I wanted to do now I also wanted to meet with the president since he said he wanted to meet and apologized to see what the apology meant cuz it can’t just be oops cuz this is not about oops this is about the
Law and the truth of the matter is the very fact that the manager said to me we know who you are and still did this means if they would do it to me considering how well known I am and I’m known for protesting known for not taking a backseat to anybody known for
Not being scared to go to jail over the right thing if you will do it to me Bishop right so I met with him now I can’t tell you everything because I do try to keep my word as much as possible but it was immediately evident to me and
Some people here uh here can verify that we met and um we had dinner we met for about 4 four hours the first couple of hours he wanted to talk about who I was and how did I go to Duke and how did I first told you got to get to North Car
Central before you get the Duke let’s start right don’t go run the Duke now and how I got to be AE at Yale and how did I you know preach the inaugural sermon for a president since only about 40 people have done that in the history
Of the country I said man I’m just from Eastern North Carolina I just God has just been good to me that’s all I just tried to serve and he wanted to talk about those things and eat some food when we got into the conversation I almost immediately recognized that he
Had been giving some wrong information about what had happened right I perceived that the things he was saying I won’t recount the whole cuz I promise but I have to say part of it the first thing I perceived that there was some people trying to make my protest and resistance to what happened
The problem in other words you the problem you you as he as he kind of suggested he said by the time they put you out my people had gotten sick of you sick of me I’m not the one that was that told somebody couldn’t come
In in fact one of them asked me that day why are you making this such a big deal think about that you have a disability you trying to go see a movie that you paid for and they’re going to ask you why are you making a big deal to do what you’ve done
Time and time again that is go place your chair either up against the back wall or in a handicapped area secondly uh I knew he was getting some wrong information because of his the his articulation of his understanding of what reasonable meant he he seemed to suggest that that
That they had done everything reasonable there was nothing else could be done and that’s not what the law says you just heard her say you eat sometimes it isn’t written down but you’re supposed to operate on an individual basis it doesn’t matter if somebody comes in your
Theater who never brought a chair before or you never seen one before if they and you can’t ask them what their disability is that’s illegal I also found out he did not know they ever who’s ever feeding him in this information did not tell him that his
People told me go get a doctor’s note and come back that that’s that’s not a wheelchair well I know it’s not a wheelchair but it’s a 88 chair necessary for me my daughter that young man over there he offered me his chair but I can’t sit in that chair
Cuz of the same problem he offer he said he was leaving he said you can well this chair is a fire this chair can’t be a fir house otherwise it couldn’t sit here it’s where you place it but then when he said well go get a doctor’s note and come
Back yeah I did say and start singing ain’t going to let nobody turn us around oh and if that got on somebody’s nerves then I’m sorry because that’s what people sung before me that’s right you’re not supposed to be meek and mild and just we would never have gotten
The Ada if people just walked away Bishop yes and I say it now this didn’t make no damn sense and damn is a good word Jesus used it when he damned the Fig Tree so stop being so prissy why is it that when somebody demands their right all of a
Sudden you’re being loud and bous and bothersome Bishop he also didn’t know that we have a video of one of the managers waving her hands at us taunting us like byebye byebye he also didn’t know that they wouldn’t let me stay on the site even to wait for my
Mother my mother was still in the theater where people there new a sistant I just hired and her daughter who has epilepsy and the manager said brought their security guard out who’s carrying a gun and I asked him I said do you you supposed to have armed security guard at
Your theater what kind of training do they have they came out you have to leave they told the TV station to leave on public accommodation in a public space and and and said you no you can’t we going to call the police now the police
By the way had left they said we not we don’t even want to be here soon as they got me outside the guy said I’m not arresting you for no trespass and they left so NCT came up and I talked to them and the manager came out on the sidewalk
And told the told you all you had to go and then told me I had to go and could not wait on could not even sit in the car my mother rode over in to wait for her but they’re arguing I’m the one and suggesting that was wrong on both sides mm-
My mother is still traumatized because of what happened she keeps getting mixed up about did we really celebrate Christmas cuz all she can remember is what happened that day she asked me just other day when are we going to do Christmas now I had hoped to meet with
The AMC president and chairman to resolve things it’s you know come up with some systematic changes this ain’t about no stuff for me personally but I will tell you today I am hurt and bothered by the distortions that were brought to the table that it seemed
Like somebody had fed him or he got I don’t know where he got him from but it was distortions um and in the meeting even though we were supposed to be meeting just us he mentioned and I talked to my counsel and when I could see that these
Distortions had somehow got into the framework and he mentioned that he had talked to his counsel I said well I need to turn everything over to my counsel so today I am announcing that I have turned all former meetings and act over to National civil rights attorney Harry Daniels he’s here
Today his officers are in Georgia he’s a veteran United States Air Force where he served in the Iraq War during operation enduring Freedom attorney Daniels has significant jury trial and appell experience on issues from victims of law enforcement misconduct unuseful Force race discrimination disability discrimination and sexual harassment and he has vast experience
Representing his clients on an array of personal injury claims I said to the chair I want he wanted to meet again I said I would would do that but from here forward uh I’m going to let attorney Dani handle setting up meeting and he’s going to put together a
Team a diverse team black and white women and others to handle this matter CU it’s it’s bigger than MEC has 10,000 screens they serve over a billion people you know the suggestion was kind of made we didn’t have no we had we haven’t had no problem with 999 million
People well first of all how do you know how do you know how many people stay home how do how do you measure that who told that’s not even something you can quantify say bishop and so I’d hope that we could be able and I still hope you
Know I was encouraged by an apology I was encouraged by sitting down and we’re still open to sitting down but once in the meeting you mention you talked to your counsel then it’s incumbent of me not for me but for all these other folk cuz
This is a matter of law it’s not a matter of like it’s not a matter of Personality it’s a matter of Law and I want to end here and then let attorney Harry Daniels come and then afterwards asked Virginia to come and close us as from North Carolina then we’ll take
Questions but but Maria said something everybody in here needs to hear if you live long enough you going to need these same laws yes yes you don’t know what your needs going to do tomorrow you don’t know what your heart your back your brain you don’t know if
You have a stroke where you going to be yes you don’t know if you go septic and get some wrong you don’t none of us know but for the grace of God right and so this is so much bigger it’s not about somebody offering me to get a
Hundred of my friends and come see a free movie it’s not about that it’s not about that I had HED I’m still I’m a hopeful person I’m not optimistic I’m hopeful I believe you can bring hope out of thisp but now at this juncture considering how my reflection on information that
Was brought up in the meeting seems to suggest that false information is being given to him and wrong information then it’s important now for me to make sure that I am protected and covered and these other people are with the proper National legal representation attorney Dan good morning uh first of all I’m
Glad to be here a little under the weather uh as Bishop stated I’m Harry Daniels National civil rights lawyer uh also standing with me my uh fellow legal eagle Terell Clemens who’s a local certainly here in pig County and all the ones who’s up here who are differently
Able uh it’s a blessing to be here to be able to represent uh make no mistake about it uh this is uh this is a race issue a human race issue as Maria stated as Bishop uh stated at some point if you’re blessed to live long enough you
May be the same predicament where you need help and accommodation and a lot of times people who in that particular situation feel alienated feel as though they do not want to be a bother to their family a lot of times they opt to stay home and not being the way on the date
Um in question um make no mistake about it that this was a Injustice uh not just to Bishop William Barber but to all and I’m not just talking about people who are differently able but to all of us because because some everybody family have somebody who
Have some type of fiscal uh issues who need additional accommodations as such um this is a legal matter uh we are optimistic that we can come to an Amal resolution through diplomacy uh I have I understand that litigiousness is not always the approach but make no mistake about it the claims
Are already here the claims are here to be brought if need be uh because this was a clear violation of American Disability Act and not only violation American isra really act but violation of North Carolina law but Bishop if you know anything about Bishop Bishop approach is to be
Inclusive to have a conversation to discuss and see can we reach an agreement not just for his issue but for all but with that being said uh as he stated when falsities are represented and things are said that are not true and informations being fed uh it is very
Very important that you move in the direction to combat and prepare to respond to those falsities as such and and it’s an old say and not saying bishop mean he who represent himself as a fool for a lawyer and understand understandably in this situation this is
Not just a oneof uh I’m actually on my way to Denver Colorado where a individual who suffered with mental issues when law enforcement was called and paramedics was called he was restrained and died of a fixation so this is nothing that is a oneof to happen here in pit County it’s
Happened all over the nation I’m not no strangers to eastern North Carolina I was a lead attorney Andrew Brown case in Elizabeth city of North Carolina uh two years back but I want to be very clear that this is a matter this is a legal matter and moving forward any
Discussion with AMC Representatives lawyers CEO would need to come through the lawyers because what we’re not going to have is for you to have a one-sided conversation and receive F incorrect information and present it to try to chill the situation this is no situation that needs to be chill in a sense this
Is a situation where we need responses resolution real real world resolution for alls so in the next 10 years from here when a person comes to the MC moov theater in Connecticut they can reflect and realize you know we had this issue here Greenville North Carolina and we want to
Make sure that all are included like I said it’s bigger than Reverend Barbara uh the fact that they did it to Reverend Barbara is a is something telling that if they willing to do these things to him they willing to do it to anybody because he would probably be the last person especially
Know his history that I would try to exclude from any uh public combinations but nevertheless you’re talking about individuals who are mocking um my client yes my client who’s mocking him not just a person you got to look at this in a totality real we talking about a person of Elder you
Don’t you don’t operate like that I know they they teach people better than that here in eastern North Carolina to deal with their Elders you don’t do that especially person who suffer from a disability cuz you like B said you never know what can happen to you you can
Leave today and forget to look left and that tractor trailer hit you and you are disabl you never know so you move in a way to be inclusive of all um I’m not by any means trying to Iran stand but I’ll be very clear that this is something that we
Take very seriously the ab take very seriously hopefully all of you take very seriously and everybody who’s here those who is not here that this is a moment in time that we have to stand on the right side of Justice because Justice is warranted here Justice is needed like I
Said before and I’m going end here this is a race issue it’s a human race and we all have to play our part to ensure that those who suffer differ able disabled with disabilities are treated fairly and accommodated thank you guys thank you thank you I want to ask
Virginia to come and just respond I do want to make sure I continue to mind folk I was born with ankos and spond lived with it more than 40 years in constant pain I’m not known a day without pain and it also doesn’t matter cuz some things were said kind of
Inundating well thank God that the people that did it were black they weren’t white it would be a whole different matter no no no it doesn’t matter what color this is about human race and this is about discrimination this is about violation of the law and I
Will will say here and any time from now on all conversations will come through the attorneys I’m going to speak as they give me counsel to do so uh but I was born with the mouth and born of the scriptures that says we have to cry loud and spare not that’s our sacred
Obligation and maybe this happened the day after Christmas uh to me and I hope this somebody who has chosen to stay home or to cry at home or not come out we through this fight never do that again and we’ll come out and enjoy like the rest of us the kind of public
Accommodations afforded to all of us Virginia thank you so much for being here today thank you Bishop Barber good morning I’m Virginia nton Marcus I’m the CEO of disability rights North Carolina we are the protection and advocacy organization in our state mandated to advance the rights of people with all types of
Disabilities and although we see discrimination every day at drnc we are appalled with what happened to Bishop Barbara the day after Christmas at the AMC theater in Greenville and we Comm you for immediately despite the indignity that you and your mother experienced that day immediately said it
Was not about you that it was bigger than that and that it was a systemic remedy that was needed in the matter I’m very disappointed to hear how your meeting with the president went um I’m sorry that happened I’m sorry all of this happened to you H people with disabilities laid down
Their lives for the Americans with Disabilities Act because it was absolutely necessary to have an integrated Society this has been the law of the land for almost 34 years and excuse me and so we are here to support Bishop Barber in any way and to um share that this is
A moment to take stock of where we are and where we should be and what happens to disabled people who simply want to see the color purple with their mother 34 years after the Ada was enacted reasonable it was a reasonable accommodation to allow a person with an apparent
Physical disability to sit in a chair where he wouldn’t experience excruciating pain there are also people with invisible disabilities who have difficulty enforcing their rights to reasonable accommodations in places that are happy to take their money but then refuse to accommodate them as happened to to
Bishop Barber and so you see how we ended with this situation even though disability crosses every line socioeconomic age race ethnicity uh Geographic how we really have a concentration especially here in the South there’s one in four people with a disability Nationwide here in the South it’s one in3 so our population is
Disproportionately disabled here and that disabled population is disproportionately people of color and disproportionately impoverished and this is just one example of how people with disabilities get pushed to the sidelines with Bishop Barber standing up and we commend him for that um we also want to point out that it’s
Very ironic that the theater managers called the police when they were the ones in violation of the law and this is how disability is criminalized this incident was potentially dangerous it was just not discriminatory it was dangerous I was at disability rights Maryland when Ethan sailor was killed that was 11 years ago
What have we learned in the meanwhile clearly not enough we have clients who have been arrested for simply waiting for the bus uh when there was no accessible bus stop waiting in the street we right now are working with a young woman who uh because she uses a
Ventilator to breathe and the state of North Carolina can’t figure out how to accommodate her so she can live in the community has been hospitalized for four years when she turned 18 since North Carolina hadn’t found supports for her in the community they tried to send her
To an out of state placement where she did not want to go and since that’s not what she wanted they are um threatening to trespass her right and and and charge her with some sort of a crime just for existing and needing a ventilator to breathe um we are reminded of not that
Long ago um a year ago we settled a case where the Winston Salem Police Department were called into a store where our client was simply shopping with his guide dog which he has a legal right to have that’s his eyes um so to speak and when uh Mall security and the
Police were called he knew his rights and he asserted his rights and Mall security agreed he has a right to be here with his guide dog but the police did not what the police were concerned about was the property owner wants this fellow out and we are here to remove him
And so they threatened to trespass him he could either leave on his own or he could leave and cuss in the back of the squad car so when the case made its way to disability rights North Carolina we always try not to jump to litigation right we try to solve problems close to
People and be and be reasonable but the city doubled down and said no the police acted appropriately they acted according to our policy so we had to file a lawsuit because the policy was unlawful um and as a result the Wiston Salem Police Department has adopted a training program so that their
Officers are informed about the legal rights of people with disabilities I would suggest that the Greenville police department might want to take a look at that and maybe every city in North Carolina might want to take a look at that amen anyways thank you for the opportunity to speak and we support you
In every way you need us and likewise we’ll take any questions from members of the media that you may have the problem is when we came through the door and walked past the refreshment area area we were met in the hall that leads to the theater and at that point told you can’t
Bring this chair in here so we were stopped cold and that’s when we raised the questions of ADA and those things then I um as you see I can’t stand for so long I need to sit down so I said I’m going to sit down as I
Normally would do and went in place I won’t say much about that um I’m not sure exactly what the credits were going and some other things and then we got a tap on the back and then the officers came to say that um the managers were suggesting that I was
Trespassing and if I didn’t leave I’d be be um arrested for trespassing so was it at the beginning yeah the we were we were trying to see the movie the beginning yes I did not get to see the mo my mother ended up having to stay yes thank you for that question
Yes has there any any indication on the employment status of the managers that called on you and wanted to get you thrown out you want them a or otherwise remove from their jobs I’m not going I’ll councel oh thank you for that question uh as I stated before
Uh we looking for some Amore uh resolution to which both parties can come to agreement uh training uh we’re not in a position of just wanting people terminated and fired uh I think that really doesn’t serve overall desired purpose but if we can get them trained
Uh so they can maybe train others and the experience they have you know you just don’t throw away uh a person just because they committed an act or wrong doing uh you should give them opportunity and we are hopeful that we can have some measure of training with
Those individuals uh and they can move forward and U do it the right way any other questions would be just what are the nexts well the next steps is that any form of communication will be had uh through my office and the other Coalition attorneys that have amassed uh
To represent uh Reverend Barber uh I stated before this is a matter that we believe is a a very important matter and legal issue here uh and see can we come to a resolution through diplomacy uh if not diplomacy it would be litigious I’m not make no mistake about it uh I am
Here in order to Foster the resolution of it but if we cannot get to a resolution then we will move another Direction uh I’m also reminded when I served in battlefields of Iraq and some of my fellow service members who were who were injured wounded and lost limbs
And how they came back and how they were treated those who in fact and let’s not forget about our veterans those who in fact who have went to war and battle and I’ve served on the battlefield with them you know so you know we have to this is
A this is a issue that we have to attack head on this is an issue for all no matter what your race religion Creed uh sexual orientation doesn’t matter this is a human race matter and it’s something that we have to deal with directly and to the question resolution
Through training um and not just training but actually sincerity I think that one thing that how you can change the heart of a man is to change the heart of a man that’s very important and if you can’t change the heart you force them but through the law and the law is
Set in place for us to do that but nevertheless that the next step that we can continue to meet uh under direction of my client I’m a client attorney we continue to meet and we can get to some uh some advoc resolution accommodation for any other questions that’s the one
Yeah we we said on the record and this is on the record and I said to the CEO my goal is that when people see AMC it would mean for them I know they will accommodate me carefully and Cally now you all know I was director of
The human relations for state of North Carolina and so that’s why you hear the attorney saying training but it has to be training that could be concretized and measured and serious not just throw something up on the website and say y’all read this uhuh it has to be deep
And thorough and foregoing and and cuz the law is complicated too you heard her say on an individual basis it’s not like cook cookie cutter right and so we’re very serious about systemic change but you’ve got to start with uh the right set of facts you can’t say
Things like well there’s wrong on both sides and all that kind of foolishness the moment that you deny somebody their legal public accommodation right you have in you have in essence cursed that Humanity see when I if this brother we’ve been KN other for a long time if I
Deny him theologically speaking I’m not a lawyer but theologically speaking what I’m saying to him is you aren’t created in the image of God say Bishop say bishop and that is the that’s a cursing you may not use vulgarity but that’s a cursing because I’m looking at you I see
That you got everything I have two eyes through but you have a disability and I’m saying you you can’t come in here I’m saying you are not made in the IMO de he as am I and therefore your presence is a nuisance to me me having to make accommodations for you is
Somehow taking something from me we got to stop there right we got to stop there yes sir clarify clarify thank you for that question I believe your question was the chair ADA Compliant let me let me be clear the one of the issues that to my understanding was that uh
That was asserted that it was some type of fire hazard well and I got a little that one thing you didn’t put on my bio I served when I served in the United States Air Force I served as a firefighter and a fire uh instructor and inspector uh that’s one of the
Components and one of repertoire I have uh in my history of an employment in serving our country in order to be a fire hazard it has to be a present fire hazard that’s the chair alone is not a fire hazard that’s right it has to be put in a block a agress or
Ingress uh so that assertion that it was a fire hazard is completely nonsensical doesn’t make sense let’s say we need to recognize what it was they saw grabing B bringing the Chariot and they took their own opinions and their own thoughts and said we ain’t going to let him come in
Here with that chair there no legal basis authority to do so with within confir of the law obviously they work for AFC they can tell the person leave just a week but the laws protect people with disabilities just like it protect uh race discrimination sex discrimination gender discrimination the laws are cifi
In our federal codes 1964 Civil Rights Act 1990 uh as such if you are terminated from your job because you have a disability it’s in violation so the chair itself is not uh was not something that uh that that that violated any rule or policy the position
That was taken by the employees that are AG AMC uh they took a position that was not any credible or rooted in policy and or law but in fact violate the law simply put if the chair of fire hazard then it’s a fire hazard right now and I
Assure you after fire alarm go off this chair is not stopping anybody to exit this door over here now if the chair was blocking the door it’ be different that’s not the case in fact when Bishop said how can you even make that determination when did he not even
Making inside the moon theat he was stopped before he went in so I hope that answer the question but any other question yes sir when the president of AMC approached you with what you said were FAL false information thank you so much um how did you respond was it
Immediate seeking out Council or excuse me referring to your counsel or did you so let me let me be clear um we I was not present in that conversation Bishop Barber was and the CEO of AMC uh so think about this you know I’m not going that’s a good question but I’m not
Going to I’m going to try to answer question B best I can if I look at you and say you have a red shirt on and you know your shirt is green how would you feel that’s that’s the question and when you telling reever barin that somebody
Saying that he did this or this and this it’s automatically going to rise a hostility and the whole purpose of that sit down was to reach and have a discussion but when falsities not saying falsities are the CEO I’m not saying he but he was getting information that he
Relay that was contradictory of the facts so that tell you we a here to really meet that terms of that Amal resolution this is something more and when you got to advise a counsel or whatever Direction you know I don’t know I cannot speak for what the council ofis
The CEO but I do know that when you assert things that’s not true then is is more likely to chill or go down another path and you know and here and and even with that we’re not responding with Father lawsuit that’s right we still at
The table we still want to come to an amp resolution because this is bigger than Rend Barber there not no monetary gain for him or anybody else this about the people it’s about all of us as one of my good friends say it’s not about finances about
Family it’s about all of us and that’s the approach and that’s the hope that we’re taking any more questions all right thank you good thank you guys I appreciate it we’ll give youall further updates that come thank you thank you all thank you all for coming can we close with prayer Bishop
BL shall we pray God we thank you for this time that you’ve afforded us to come together to talk about this work of Justice we ask for your continuing guidance in leading us to do what you’ve called and assign us to do in this season we ask that you
Would bless all those that will partake in moving this Ro isue forward thank you for allowing us to assemble in this space we pray that you would Grant unto us Road Mercy as we travel to our various destinations and ask your blessing benediction in thy name we pray amen
Amen let’s see let’s see what what Harry can do
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