THE BEST OF ENEMIES by Osha Gray Davidson is a true story of the unlikely relationship between two low-income community activists, Ann Atwater, an outspoken civil rights activist, and C.P. Ellis, a local Ku Klux Klan leader. The story takes place in Durham, North Carolina, during the turbulent 1960s and 70’s when the Civil Rights Movement was at its peak. After having several public racially-charged confrontations and developing an intense disdain for each other, in the racially charged summer of 1971, Atwater and Ellis came together to co-chair a community summit on the desegregation of public schools in Durham, N.C. The ensuing debate and battle soon lead to surprising revelations, forever changing both of their lives. In Durham and throughout the United States, Ellis and Atwater exemplify how blacks and whites can overcome centuries of racial barriers by focusing on their commonalities and humanity. Through this process, they gradually learn to see this in each other and develop an understanding of the class structure in the South that oppresses both of them as they move from THE BEST OF ENEMIES to friends.
Ages 14+