Ann Atwater | |
|---|---|
 Atwater in 1995 | |
| Born | July 1, 1935 |
| Died | June 20, 2016 (aged 80) Durham, North Carolina |
| Occupation | Civil rights activist |
| Spouses | French Wilson
(m. 1949; div. 1953)Willie Pettiford (m. 1975) |
| Children | 2 |
Ann George Atwater (July 1, 1935 – June 20, 2016) was an American civil rights activist in Durham, North Carolina. Throughout her career she helped improve the quality of life in Durham through programs such as Operation Breakthrough (Durham, North Carolina), a community organization dedicated to fight the War on Poverty. She became an effective activist and leader when advocating for black rights, such as better private housing. Atwater promoted unity of the working-class African Americans through grassroots organizations.
She is best known as one of the co-chairs of a charrette in 1971 to reduce school violence and ensure peaceful school desegregation. It met for ten sessions. She showed that it was possible for White and Black people, even with conflicting views, to negotiate and collaborate by establishing some common ground.