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IN A FLASH: A National Call For Unity And Action

On April 9, 1968, a telegram from the National Urban League was sent to affiliate Urban Leagues across the country calling for a meeting in Washington, D.C., to discuss their plans, going forward, after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4. 

This telegram is a rare artifact in 91²Ö¿â Library's . It was sent to the Urban League of Warren, Ohio, and uncovered by Elizabeth Smith-Pryor, Ph.D., an associate professor and undergraduate coordinator in the Department of History, as part of her research.

Smith-Pryor explained that the National Urban League needed to get the information out fast. "But how do you get the information to people that fast? Online? No,� Smith Pryor said. “You know, today fax machines are considered old-fashioned, but there wasn’t even a fax machine in 1968. So, you sent telegrams.�

Telegram from the National Urban League


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POSTED: Monday, April 10, 2023 11:33 AM
Updated: Wednesday, March 11, 2026 09:52 AM
WRITTEN BY:
Phil B. Soencksen