Historical source
Ann Atwater’s community organizing
North Carolina’s Department of Natural and Cultural Resources describes Atwater’s organizing and role in the 1971 desegregation discussions.
1971 · Durham, North Carolina
Ann Atwater & C. P. Ellis
Civil rights & equality
Civil rights organizer Ann Atwater and Ku Klux Klan leader C. P. Ellis were brought together during a community process over school desegregation in Durham. Their unlikely relationship and Ellis’s eventual break with the Klan became the subject of The Best of Enemies.
Content note
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The Story
When1971
WhereDurham, North Carolina
In this collection3 resources
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Blogs & Essays
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From the journal
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Blogs & essays
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Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
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Books
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Books
1 itemsOsha Gray Davidson
The Best of Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South
A book about this story. See the linked source for the author, edition and publication details.
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Movies & TV
Movies
1 itemsAbout these sources
Watch links, previews and title listings are identified below. Rentals or subscriptions may be required.
Film / television guide
The Best of Enemies (2019)
Dramatized portrayal of these events. Film information and availability are provided by the linked source; dialogue and chronology may differ from the historical record.
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TV & documentaries
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Fiction Work · 1 adaptations & inspirations
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
Film / television guide
The Best of Enemies (2019)
Dramatized portrayal of these events. Film information and availability are provided by the linked source; dialogue and chronology may differ from the historical record.
Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
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Podcasts & Audio
Podcasts
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Social Media
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News & Reading
Free & Library Reading
0 sourcesExplore free articles, book previews and library options. The label on each item explains what you can access; a catalog entry does not mean the whole book is free.
No additional case-specific reading source was confirmed in this review. The reporting and original summaries elsewhere on this page remain available.
Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-15. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine. Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
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Newspaper clippings
0 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
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Internet Archive
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Court & Files
Court records & documents
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
No accessible court document has been verified for this case yet.
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Roads Traveled
Roads Traveled
Open case map →Durham, North Carolina. The map provides regional context; individually verified historical places are listed below.
Where this story happened
Durham, North Carolina
Highlighted states show regional context, not exact addresses. Ontario and regions outside the contiguous U.S. are listed by name.
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Location research & source notes
This case was added after the September 14 map-source review and has not yet been checked against those sources.
The map shows regional context for this case. No individually sourced historical place is included below.
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Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.
Social Media
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