Making friends in the neighborhood - News Feature

The Friendly Cinema                                           Contact: Mary Evelyn Welch

(205) 795-3500                                                              Phone: (205) 531-6863                                                                         March 16, 2021 10 A.M. CDT                Email: maryevelynwelch@fmps.com

Making friends in the neighborhood

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (March 16, 2021) - As a young adult, Theodore Jackson woke up the same way every day, fast and uneasy. The cars roared on the highway above him, dragging him away from his dream of a better life. 

He clutched the necklace wrapped around his neck, a relic from a past life, the only tangible memory of his mother.  

These days, Jackson wakes up on his own time. He brews his coffee with two sugars and savors every drop. He drinks his coffee on his back patio, surrounded by sunshine and blooming trees instead of dark cement walls. 

Sixty-year-old Jackson is the owner of The Friendly Cinema, an independent movie theatre located in the heart of downtown Birmingham. In February, Jackson received the Best Downtown Business Award for the 10th year in a row. 

Since Jackson escaped poverty at age 26, he has spread love and positivity everywhere he goes.

Harry Turner, a homeless man who lives around the corner of the theatre, said that Jackson “brings him breakfast every morning.” 

Jackson volunteers at the local homeless shelter every month. Even though the cost of admission at the theatre is only $4, he hosts movie nights that are completely free to the surrounding area. 

Turner says he does not mind what movie plays, “all that matters is that it is a warm place to stay.” 

Betty Thomas, an old friend of “TJ” as she calls him, says that Jackson is always helping people, on and off the clock. In his free time, Jackson helps Thomas with the “yard work, house cleaning and babysitting.” 

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Theodore Jackson, 2

Thomas said Jackson has always extended a helping hand, but he really stepped up to the plate when Thomas’s husband left her and her daughter, Annabelle. 

The Friendly Cinema is Jackson’s pride and joy that started 25 years ago. It is part of the “Make Birmingham Great Again” initiative. 

Wanda Rhimes, a Chamber of Commerce representative, brought Jackson’s idea for the initiative to life. 

“He has a deep passion for this city and will do anything he can to make it better,” says Rhimes. 

Jackson grew up rougher than most. He knows the challenges of growing up in the city from personal experience. He was put in foster care at the age of 7, and at age 18, he became homeless.

“Being alone was the only life I had ever known,” says Thomas.

At age 20, he decided to change his situation. He bought a push-mower at a thrift store and went door-to-door mowing lawns. He told everyone about his love for movies and his dreams of opening up his own theatre one day. 

He touched so many hearts around the community that they started a GoFundMe in his honor. The GoFundMe raised over $50,000 in donations which allowed him to turn his dreams into a reality. 

“I know that I have come a long way and I have changed a lot, but I also know that there is still so much more I want to do in this life,” says Jackson. 

He still keeps his necklace hanging in his office, reminding him of where he has been and where he wants to go. 

To keep up with The Friendly Cinema, go to www.friendlycinema.com 

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