C.P. Ellis

Reading about C.P. Ellis made me realize that negative feelings of inferiority and jealousy push people into the want of power. C.P. constantly felt ashamed of his father and his clothing to the point where he would leave school early because the other kids had nicer clothing. This sense followed him everywhere. "I always had the feeling about somebody looking at him and makin' fun of him and makin' fun of me. I think it had to do somethin' with my life". The self-consciousness affected how he viewed himself and the world around him. In his adult life, C.P. struggled. Financial and family problems made him question the country as though a specific group was to blame. "All my life, I had work, never a day without work, worked all the overtime I could get and still could no survive financially. I began to say there's somethin' wrong with this country. I worked my butt off and just never seemed to break even". The idealistic American Dream was impossible to attain. Soon enough, C.P. blamed his problems on the blacks because it was the only way to explain his difficulties. It had to be someones fault. Blacks were the natural choice because his father was a member of the Klan. Once C.P. joined the Klan, he described the moment as "thrilling". The majority of the group consisted of low-income whites who are struggling for a place in society and have a main desire for wanting to be a part of something. Many of the members felt shut out of society and just wanted a place in it. The Klan offered a sense of importance while providing a specific group to hate. For the first time Ellis was able to feel important. It wasn't until he was nominated chairman of the school committee that Ellis was able to feel content within himself. Ann Atwater, a black activist who C.P. absolutely despised, was nominated co-chairman. Together, they had to work to solve racial problems in schools. After sharing stories of the pain their children face as school, it was a moment where they understood each other. "I began to love the girl, really. The amazing thing about it, her and I, up to that point, had cussed each other, bawled each other, we hated each other. Up to that point, we didn't know each other. We didn't know we had things in common". Ann and C.P. are photographed together above. Interacting with Ann made him realized how every race and religion deals with the same issues. He was able to let go of all the anger when he recognized that everyone is also struggling and going through the same problems. C.P.'s early insecurities fueled his want for power and the need of a sense of belonging. The Klan allowed him to feel important but never satisfied him fully, but his work as chairman rewarded him morally and also gave him a positive role. It is unfair to judge someone solely by their race, religion, or appearance because you never know what they're really like. The common expression 'never judge a book by its cover' stands.