CP Ellis If the footage from the later episodes of Netflix's The Staircase from 2012 and 2016 are anything to go by, they are still close with Michael Peterson. Elliss position at the margins of white society frustrated him, and looking for a scapegoat, he turned to the target provided by the Klan, as he explained in a 1980 interview with oral historian Studs Terkel: I really began to get bitter. At one point, she said, "We went in the office and cried because we were doing things the wrong way just because one was black and one was white.. Such struggles helped shape Atwater as an activist. She seems an unlikely activist and hero. And she was an effective boycotter, too. She died in 2016 having won many awards and accolades for her work for the disadvantaged. Today, he lives in Maryland with his two children, according to The News and Observer. And we showed that towards each other up until we went into the (unintelligible) a 10-day meeting. Kathleen Peterson Ellis was a former grand exalted cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan in Durham, North Carolina. I pulled out, I had a little small knife, pocket knife." As seen in The Staircase on HBO Max, Caitlin's opinion changed after she saw autopsy pictures showcasing the severity of Kathleen Peterson's injuries and after learning of Michael Peterson's bisexuality. From then on, she demanded to be heard. Because the white councilmen did not want to listen to a black woman talk, they turned their chairs away from her. Change did not come easily or suddenly, and the two faced ostracism, even death threats; C.P. Ellis were named co-chairs of the Durham, North Carolinas charrette S.O.S., Save Our Schools.. There certainly is no deep seated love between Mr. Ellis and myself but this school project brings out problems we all have. Ann Atwater The Durham medical examiner concluded Ratliff's cause of death was "homicide". To learn more, view our full privacy policy. C.P. If we fail, at least no one can say we didnt try. Todd Peterson is the second son of Michael Peterson, from his first marriage to Patricia Sue. Breakthrough was a project designed to alleviate poverty by teaching residents how to address its root causes, and by organizing the community to create a social security net. I began to blame it on black people. was sitting there, and first he started clapping his hands. As a chair of a housing committee, Atwater organized protests and rallies calling for better housing conditions for the poor. Ann Atwater and Claiborne P. Ellis had much in common, although it would take years of battling each other across the racial divide before they were able to see their similarities. The couple divorced, and Atwater supported herself and her two children as a maid for 30 cents an hour, before turning to Social Services for help. This wasnt actually true there was no house waiting for her when she arrived in Durham. Peterson was the last person to see her alive. So what I did, when he went to get up, I hit him over the head with the receiver of the telephone," Atwater recalled in a 2010 interview. "We went to the schoolhouse and we found out that the teachers there were out of their field," recalled Atwater. Daughter The enmity was mutual, and the charrette seemed stuck. Ellis, who died of Alzheimer's in 2005, became a champion of union and labor organizations, working as an AFL-CIO organizer. Fuller met with each resident enrolled in Operation Breakthrough, getting to know them personally and helping identify issues to be fixed. Ann Atwater, a black civil rights activist, talks about her friend. The movie, which tells the story of the unlikely friendship that developed between Atwater and C.P. Ann Atwater and C.P. They raised him until approximately age 11, when he was placed in an institution. Ann Atwater, Durham Civil Rights Activist, Dies "The couple were married a week later.. WebEventually Atwater divorced him and raised their two daughters on her own as a single mother. I hated her guts. Diane Fanning in her book Written in Blood: A True Story of Murder and A Deadly 16-Year Old Secret That Tore a Family Apart, details how Todd Peterson allegedly told police officers that he believed Kathleen Peterson's death to be alcohol-related. "So that's when me and him decided that we would work for the cause and stop fussin' and arguin' because one was black and one was white. Ellis, "and I particularly didn't want it at the time, but then I knew we were going to have to be at one school and the children had to get the best education they could. They divorced. In 1967, Atwater took a 17-week training course where she learned about tenant rights, housing codes and how to organize community protests. She had already been friends with the girls when their parents met and connected. Over 10 days, the opposing sides met and tension grew. What are you gonna do? " the father demanded, according to the book The Best of Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South by Osha Gray Davidson, upon which the movie is based. At the time, Durham had a fairly large black population, with a considerable portion of educated, middle-class blacks, in addition to white residents and poor blacks. They presented ways to improve curriculum, in addition to making it easier for students' voices to be heard. Born Ann George in the community of Hallsboro in Columbus County, North Carolina, she was pregnant and married at the age of 14. After that, Atwater went door to door telling people how they could get their landlords to fix their houses. The Best of Enemies Midnight Sun star Patrick Schwarzenegger portrays Todd Peterson in The Staircase on HBO Max. Her mother died when she was 6. Her death was investigated by the U.S. military police in Germany at the time and an autopsy concluded she had died from an intracerebral hemorrhage. Ellis like an uncle and still keeps in touch with his family. I didn't like integration. was up raging and ranting, that's when I wanted to cut his head off. The real-life story of Atwater is featured in the movie The Best of Enemies, starring Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell, which opens in theaters Friday. After Michael Peterson and Patricia Sue divorced in 1985, Clayton and his younger brother Todd went to live with their mother. The pair weren't the first choices. Hatin America is hard to do because you cant see it to hate it. She was a woman who found and used the power of her voice. She made dresses out of flour and rice bags for her daughters to wear. In the early 1950s, Atwater and her daughter moved to Durham to join Wilson. Claiborne Paul Ellis, union organiser, born January 8 1927; died November 3 2005, A reformed white racist, he fought for black workers, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. When Atwater discovered caseworkers kept key information from clients, she figured out how to get the information herself. He grabbed my hand and said, Dont give them the satisfaction.'. had a machine gun, and he would show it to the city councilmen in the trunk of his car every morning. The committee met for 12 hours daily over 10 days to find a solution for the Durham school desegregation problem, which would be binding on the city. Yes. Welfare was only providing $57 a month, and she was leasing a dilapidated house where she was $100 behind her rent. As soon as he got close to me, I was going to grab his head from behind and cut him from ear to ear. They would turn their back to us, and I would walk up and knock 'em back around, you know, let them know that we were talking to them." This is the story of Ann Atwater, political activist and desegregationist, the true story behind the 2019 film The Best of Enemies. He moved to Richmond seeking better work and asked Atwater to join him there with their two daughters, she said no. She organized her community to rail against the citys repressive and reprehensible policies towards black housing, often peacefully in pickets and marches and city council meetings, but she was not averse to more violent tactics, as when she participated in the bombing of the Housing Authority. Ann G. Atwater He went on to organize labor unions for both blacks and whites. 25 Of Our Favorite Mothers Day Episodes From 'The Golden Girls' to 'Rugrats', It's Official! WebAnn Atwater Born: July 1, 1935 Growing up as the youngest of nine children, Ann started working on the family farm in Columbus County, N.C., before she can remember. Newsweek And she was an effective boycotter, too. Starting from the very beginning, Ann Atwater was born in Hallsboro as one of nine children and got married in her early teenage years. Ann Atwater was a pioneer of community organizing and black advocacy. As a result, there was no one to direct the Klan's Youth Corp and the program disbanded. She was not afraid to voice her opinions loudly and proudly. Ellis had an especially difficult time returning to his life post-charrette, as he had lost his effectiveness in the conservative community, which he acknowledged in a toast on the last night of the charrette. She showed him her house and he invited her to his program. Ellis was the son of a millworker and was raised in poverty. Ellis has died at age 78. [2] Riddick recruited participants from all sectors of Durham. The strikes left 34 people injured, including three children, and caused widespread damage. Though going through the trial was unimaginably difficult, Atwater did tell IndyWeek that it gave her a measure of understanding. I didnt know who to blame. [8][pageneeded]. Civil-Rights Activist, Ex-Klansman C.P. Ellis : NPR For instance, the film never mentions Ellis KKK-inspired hatred of Catholics. What Happened To Ann Atwater Ann Atwater was a woman to be reckoned with, a woman not to be ignored. Both Atwater and Ellis have since passed away, but their legacies live today through their family members. She was 80. The Best of Enemies fact-check revealed that Ann credited God with giving her the strength to help so many people. I didn't like the demonstrations downtown. In the end, Ellis repudiated racism and the Klan and they became lifelong friends. Ellis a couple of years before we worked together to integrate Durhams schools, Atwater wrote in a 2013 column in the Durham Herald-Sun titled What Forgiveness Costs., We were at a meeting downtown together, and he kept yelling n---- this and n---- that. BLOCK: Well, Ann Atwater, thanks very much for talking with us. People worked at job-training, took after-school tutoring, or became educated as to their rights. Ellis. [12][pageneeded], The two antagonists eventually learned to work together and, to everyones astonishment, became good friends. And the funny part about it, we stayed friends all these years. Ann mar- It helped participants gain confidence that they could achieve change and escape poverty. He convinced her landlord to fix her house, helped pay back her debt, and helped her find her path. The marriage was unhappy, and when Wilson got a job in Richmond, Virginia and asked Atwater to uproot herself again, she countered: I already followed you to Durham. Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media. Ellis and Atwater spoke together about their experience at events around the country, and at C.P. Despite that, the couple's five children (four of whom were Michael's, all from previous relationships) stood by their dad until some information came to light that changed Kathleen's daughter's mind. Ms. ATWATER: No, it don't when you look back at it. It met for ten sessions. Ms. ATWATER: Well, in the first five days of the meetings, we had a choir come in, a gospel choir, a church choir--to come in and do some singing. I didn't like Ann boycotting stores. She was making progress. Ann's granddaughter says that she's always viewed C.P. Clayton Peterson is played by Dane DeHaan, who is best known for his role as Harry Osborn/Green Goblin in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Born to sharecroppers on July 1, 1935, in Hillsboro, North Carolina, her meager beginnings were compounded when she found herself pregnant at age 14. I always said if they'd said something to me, I was going to knock the hell out of them with my Bible. This article was published more than4 years ago. [1] In the documentary An Unlikely Friendship, Atwater recalled that while working on a white owner's farm, she was given food only through the back door and after the white workers had eaten. Ellis died last week in Durham at the age of 78. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. I know if we weren't gonna look after our children, nobody else would. She showed up and sat down in the chapel, Wilson-Hartgrove said in an interview. Ellis found his voice in the Klan, and rising to become the its local leader, he began to take the Klan in a new public direction. She is best known as one of the co-chairs of a charrette in 1971 to reduce school violence and ensure peaceful school desegregation. Like his older brother Clayton, Todd Peterson stood by his father's side during the trial and today. How in the hell does people get so screwed up mentally? I didnt like the demonstrations downtown, recalled Ellis some 30 years after the charrette. Ellis and Ann Atwater established during that time endured, as did Ellis change in attitude. Ms. ANN ATWATER (Civil Rights Activist): Yes, he did, and I hated him just as hard as he hated me. C.P. She made dresses out of flour and rice bags for her daughters to wear. Ann Atwater was used to struggling, but she hit some truly hard times. Caitlin Atwater is Kathleen Peterson's daughter with her first husband, Fred Atwater. The Best of Enemies true story reveals that Ann Atwater got married at the age of 14 and moved to Durham, NC in 1953. This website is undergoing design changes. WebIn 1971 in Durham, North Carolina, Ann Atwater tries to get better housing conditions for poor black people, and is ignored by the all-white judge panel. Ann G. Atwater was born on July 1, 1935, in Hillsboro, North Carolina. He was upset and I was upset, and he was cussin' and callin' all black folks n**gers and I was callin' all white folks crackers, and I couldn't stand white folks anyway." Atwater found her niche. The Housing Authority, part of an old boy network headed by autocratic cotton mill executive Carvie Oldham, failed to enforce housing codes. Kathleen's body was found at the foot of the stairs, with trauma to her head that indicated she may have been struck. The children got them together and told them they wanted to go to school together. BLOCK: Why would C.P. Her pastor was there, grabbed the hand holding a knife and stopped her. Ellis quit the KKK. Ahead of a retrial in 2017, Michael Peterson entered an Alford plea to a manslaughter charge and was released from prison. As seen in The Staircase on HBO Max, Todd Peterson was the first person to see his father in the immediate aftermath of Kathleen's body being discovered. Ann Atwater, who died in 2016 at the age of 80, defied stereotypes. But to see--as I tell everybody, God had a hand on that because in the meetings C.P. On the evening of her death, the Petersons had dinner with Ratliff and her daughters. There were also unexpected revelations about Michael's sexuality and how he had come to adopt his daughters that raised questions about his supposedly happy marriage with Kathleen. All rights reserved. In examining The Best of Enemies' historical accuracy, we learned that Ann Atwater was ridiculed by some in her community over the fact that she had worked with C.P. But then if I look back at it through my Bible, through God's work, God had a plan for both of us. The purpose of this charrette was to discuss school desegregation, a still contentious issue, and to draw up a series of recommendations to present to the school board. I didn't like Ann boycotting stores. It's just a strange thing, but it really happened. Ann Atwater, interview by Sean Aery, Sallie Bingham Center for Women's History and Culture, February 1, 2006. Enemies' daughter is ordained minister in WebDid Ann Atwater's husband leave her to raise their children alone? I feel that when somebody calls me for some help, God wants me to go on record sayin' I tried. "They said I sold out because I worked with a Klansman," recalled Atwater. He invited Atwater to a meeting and to join. Through Operation Breakthrough, Atwater was selected for the 1971 charrette or series of planning meetings over the integration of Durhams schools. Today, Caitlin is married and is now known as Caitlin Clark. Colin Firth and Toni Colette star in HBO Max's latest true-crime drama, The Staircase, based on the 13-part documentary series of the same name by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade. Revelations about Margaret and Martha's birth family also made Atwater doubt Michael's innocence, according to CBS News. Today, Margaret resides in California, and Martha relocated to Colorado. Ann Atwater was used to struggling, but she hit some truly hard times. She was a fierce fighter for rights for poor African Americans who shook up the white power establishment in Durham, N.C. in the 1960s. Ms. ATWATER: Well, some of the people in City Hall was Klansmen as well, and they had him put out there so he could disrupt everything that everybody was trying to do. NBC News reported that after seeing Kathleen's autopsy photos, Atwater called Margaret and said: The sisters stopped speaking after that. Atwater told Dateline correspondent Dennis Murphy that she had lost "far more than just my mother. You gotta have somethin to look at to hate. They showed community members how to cultivate gardens or how to chip in and fundraise together to improve their neighborhoods. The funeral homes were still segregated, said Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, director of the School for Conversion, a community program in Durham. Ellis To Join Her In The Fight, A foodie, wanderlust victim, professional Francophile, and history nerd, Andrew Milne is a freelance writer who has worked at outlets like Bon Apptit and Food Network, and currently runs content at, The True Story Of Bathsheba Sherman, The Murderous Ghost From 'The Conjuring', The True Story Of Frank Lucas, The Harlem Drug Lord Who Built A Heroin Empire, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, Jim Thornton/The Herald Sun Collections/University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries, Ann Atwater and C.P. ", Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. C.P. Durham's prosperous black business sector made the city a beacon of hope for African Americans seeking to rise through self-help. She attended a Durham premiere of the film in March 2019 and answered media questions on the red carpet. Riddick set up a meeting, which is referred to in the movie as a charrette. According to The Best of Enemies true story, Ann says that C.P. She didn't feel that she could ever achieve true closure, but she could move forward. Atwater promoted unity of the working-class African Americans through grassroots organizations. Her father earned only five cents an hour; Ann and her siblings also worked on farms as children to help support the family. When Michael Peterson and Patricia Sue lived in Germany, they befriended Elizabeth and George Ratliff and their two daughters, Margaret and Martha. I'm Michele Norris. Ann Atwater found her voice as a community activist to stand up to slumlords and bigots and yet, one of the most transformative relationships in her life was with a Klansman. To her knowledge, making demands from a landlord was unheard of and she had no idea that she had the right to do so. She survived on $57 a month from a welfare check, and struggled to pay rent, as she gained only occasional domestic work in white homes. She showed that it was possible for whites and blacks, even with conflicting views, to negotiate and collaborate by establishing some common ground. "They would turn their chairs around, and they were chairs that wheeled around. She married Willie Pettiford in 1975, and became a deacon at the Mount Calvary United Church of Christ. And I had my coat on, and I took the manual off the desk and put it under my coat while she was fussing about coming there and not getting any help. When Atwater got pregnant at 14, her father a deacon in the church grabbed his shotgun and walked to the house of the man responsible, French Wilson.
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