1971: In Durham, North Carolina, Ann Atwater tries to get better housing conditions for poor black people, and is ignored by the all-white judge panel. C. P. Ellis is the president of the KKK, and has a family with children. He loves and cares for his family. Ann’s daughters’ school catches on fire (whether by accident or arson is unclear), and CP is afraid that the black children will come to the white schools. The city council makes a finding the school is still usable, so the NAACP helps file a lawsuit. The judicial decision is to bring in a proven mediation expert, Bill Riddick, who sets up a meeting with the both of them.
At first, both of them refuse since they hate each other, but then they are convinced. CP is a proud racist and refuses to sit with Bill and Ann, since they are black and he is white. Bill tells them the charrettes are designed to help groups develop solutions, so this one will tackle school segregation and other educational issues for the whole Durham school district.
They agree to pick some people randomly from the group to vote on the issues at the end of the meeting sessions. CP tries to talk to folks selected to vote, but is mostly rebuffed. A black reverend asks Bill if he can play gospel music at the end of each session. CP hotly refuses, saying if the blacks want to sing gospel music at the charrette, he should be allowed to put out his KKK items to display. Ann refuses, but Bill agrees.