Civil Rights Activities in Durham, NC

When Ann Atwater and C.P. Ellis were still living, Diane Bloom produced “An Unlikely Friendship,” a documentary film about their story. This summary of civil rights activities was produced as part of a study guide to accompany Bloom’s film, which is available at http://www.anunlikelyfriendship.com.  

While people like Ann Atwater and C.P. Ellis exist in every community, stories like theirs do not happen in a vacuum. There are always stories behind the stories. Below are some of Durham’s civil rights stories that preceded the story told in “The Best of Enemies.” Read them to understand more about the context in which the events of 1971 occurred.