The Best of Enemies Summary
Osha Gray Davidson

The Best of Enemies Overview

Set in Durham, North Carolina at the height of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s, Best of Enemies by Osha Gray Davidson is a non-fiction account of an unlikely friendship between two activists. Ann Atwater is a poor, black single-parent who emerges as a passionate social justice leader in her community. C.P. Lewis is a white, uneducated gas station attendant who joins the Ku Klux Klan and rises within their ranks. For years, Lewis and Atwater are fierce and vocal adversaries. After some ugly public encounters, the two activists agree to work together on the issue of desegregation in the Durham Public Schools. Over time, they find common ground and develop a warm friendship that serves as a powerful example of racial harmony during a turbulent time in American history.