Osha Gray Davidson Knihy

Chronicling the decline of America's Heartland from 1940 to the mid-1980s, the book reveals the stark economic challenges faced by farmers, including rising costs and decreasing profits. Through interviews with over 200 individuals, it highlights the human impact of the farm crisis, showcasing the struggles of communities that have turned to low-paying jobs and industrial farming. The expanded edition addresses the rise of far-right groups and examines significant issues like NAFTA and sustainable agriculture, providing a comprehensive view of rural America's transformation.

C. P. Ellis grew up in the poor white section of Durham, North Carolina, and as a young man joined the Ku Klux Klan. Ann Atwater, a single mother from the poor black part of town, quit her job as a household domestic to join the civil rights fight. During the 1960s, as the country struggled with the explosive issue of race, Ellis and Atwater met on opposite sides of the public school integration issue. Their encounters were charged with hatred and suspicion. In an amazing set of transformations, however, each of them came to see how the other had been exploited by the South's rigid power structure, and they forged a friendship that flourished against a backdrop of unrelenting bigotry. Now a major motion picture, The Best of Enemies offers a vivid portrait of a relationship that defied all odds. View the movie trailer here: https://youtu.be/eKM6fSTs-A0