Join Golden Globe-winning actress Taraji P. Henson, director Robin Bissell and producer Dominique Telson for a powerful conversation about the civil rights era and their new film, The Best of Enemies.
While the 1960s in the United States were rife with violent racial tensions, Durham, North Carolina is a crucial anchor in the history of the civil rights movement. From hosting the country’s first sit-in to various visits from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, the city is the birthplace of many unsung heroes in the movement, including Ann Atwater.
In 1971, civil rights activist Ann Atwater teamed up with an unlikely ally, KKK member C.P. Ellis, after a decade-long feud. Together, they shared a goal to reduce school violence and ensure peaceful desegregation. Atwater’s story and her friendship with Ellis is finally being told for audiences around the world in the upcoming film The Best of Enemies, starring Taraji P. Henson. Henson rose to fame with powerful roles in the television show “Empire” and the films Hidden Figures and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Join Henson, Bissell and Telson at INFORUM as they all discuss the making of the film, Atwater’s incredible life and the immense power of finding a common ground with everyone.
** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **
Taraji P. Henson
Actress; Author, Around the Way Girl
Robin Bissell
Director, The Best of Enemies; Producer, The Hunger Games; Producer, Seabiscuit
Dominique Telson
Senior Vice President of Development and Production, Astute Films
Alicia Garza
Principal, Black Futures Lab; Strategy and Partnership Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance; Co-Founder, Black Lives Matter; Contributing Editor, Marie Claire—Moderator