Today at noon at the Clinton Presidential Center Great Hall, Harriet Glickman and Ken Kelly will share the story of a schoolteacher who changed the course of Peanuts history.

During this special presentation, “The Story of Franklin: Just Another Kid in Peanuts,” the duo will describe their roles in the creation of Franklin, the first African American character in the Peanuts comic strips. The event will be held in conjunction with the two temporary exhibits, “Pigskin Peanuts” and “Heartbreak in Peanuts.”

In the wake of the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Ms. Glickman, a Los Angeles school teacher, began a vibrant correspondence with Peanuts creator, Charles Schulz, as a result of her outreach to nationally syndicated cartoonists regarding the lack of diversity in popular comic strips.

She shared the response she received from Mr. Schulz with Ken Kelly, a longtime friend and father with young children, who then wrote a letter of support to Schulz from the perspective of an African American parent.