Telegram on Little Rock, AK

As the 1957 school year began, it was clear that Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, was going to be a flashpoint of school integration following the Supreme Court's 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. Just 10 days after Dr. King sent his August 30th letter, Dr. King took advantage of his new relationship with Vice President Richard Nixon and sent him a telegram asking him to urge President Dwight D. Eisenhower to have the Federal Government take "a strong positive stand" at Central High, lest the process of integration be set back fifty years. On September 25th, Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne Division as well as the National Guard to Central High. Dr. King commended the President for his positive and forthright stand.