C.P. Ellis was a former Ku Klux Klan leader who, in the 1970s, had a transformative experience that led him to renounce racism and dedicate himself to promoting racial reconciliation. Studs Terkel was a renowned oral historian who interviewed C.P. Ellis for his book "Working," in which Ellis discussed his journey from hate to understanding.
Ellis was born in 1927 in North Carolina and grew up in a poor, working-class family. As a young man, he joined the Ku Klux Klan, which he saw as a way to assert his own sense of worth and belonging in a society that often marginalized him and other poor whites. However, as he rose through the ranks of the Klan, Ellis began to have doubts about the hate and violence that the organization espoused. These doubts were further fueled by his relationship with a black woman, Ann Atwater, with whom he had a tumultuous but ultimately transformative partnership.
Through Atwater, Ellis came to understand the deep pain and injustice that racism caused. He also came to realize that his own hate and bigotry were ultimately self-destructive and harmful to others. In the end, he made the brave decision to publicly renounce the Klan and dedicate himself to promoting racial reconciliation.
In his interview with Studs Terkel, Ellis discussed his journey from hate to understanding in great depth. He spoke candidly about the events and experiences that led him to question the Klan and its ideology, as well as the challenges he faced in trying to make amends for the harm he had caused. Despite the obstacles he encountered, Ellis remained committed to the belief that it is possible for people to overcome their prejudices and work towards a more just and equitable society.
C.P. Ellis's story is a powerful reminder that it is never too late to change and that, with determination and an open mind, it is possible to overcome even the deepest-seated biases and hatreds. It is a testament to the resilience and capacity for transformation that exists within all of us, and it serves as an inspiration to those who are working towards a more inclusive and compassionate world.
Studs Terkel: 'Hard Times' And Other Histories : NPR
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Regardless, Ellis continued to advocate on behalf of racial equality and continued to assist Atwater in the fight to integrate Durham schools. . We are able to see the laws that were created years ago, lost the power they once held. . I would like to have lived a whole bunch of lives. Ellis died Thursday at Both Ellis' "enemy" and "friend" of the book and film titles was Ellis and Atwater had been such bitter foes that she once pulled a knife on him at a They became such close comrades that, after the meetings, Ellis renounced his position as Exalted Grand Cyclops of the KKK, repudiated segregation and joined Atwater in working to desegregate the "God had a plan for both of us, for us to get together.
C. P Ellis: Why I Quit The Klan
After Ellis began championing desegregation in 1971, he was ostracized by angry white former colleagues and became such an outcast that he considered suicide. During my middle school years, my parents would give my brother and I lunch money for school on a daily basis. They spent 12 hours of each day arguing, but gradually found that they agreed on many points. Terkel hosted a Chicago radio program for 45 years and authored 12 oral histories about 20th century America. Several messages are evident right through studs terkel effective, where, a precise amendment that a good number of fundamental reoccurring messages can be assessed to contain a pride and dignity in a job that satisfies a person's lifetime fervour Sherwood 449-459. They have a few, so they can say; 'No longer are we segregated.
How C.P. Ellis Went From A KKK Leader To Civil Rights Activist
. One of the main concepts of prejudice and racism that is outlined in ellis's narration is his level of prejudice that is prevalent throughout his life. Being black, in plain clothes, people might mistake me for a burglar and shoot me. It didn't work out. Me, this poor little ol' boy, a nobody, felt like somebody.
