For All the People: A Century of Citizen Action in Health Care Reform

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2. Telegram urging doctor participation in march, 1965

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  Transcript

  Western Union Telegram

  W. P. Marshall, President

  The filing time shown in the date line on domestic telegrams is LOCAL TIME at point of origin. Time of receipt is LOCAL TIME at point of destination

  Class of Service-This is a fast message unless its deferred character is indicated by the proper symbol.

  Symbols: DL = Day Letter, NL=Night Letter, LT= International Letter Telegram

  Sf-1201 (4-60)

  [Stamp] 1965 Mar 21 AM 8 50

  fca004 (29) (25) ma175,
  mcb011 (sy nb10nlpd New York NY Mar 20

  Leonidas SCRRY, MD

  National Medical Assoc 412 east 47 St Chgo

  Through its active support of the freedom march from Selma to Montgomery Alabama the Medical Committee for Human Rights is urging you as a member of its board of sponsors to participate in and support that cause which has become one of the more recent fundamental expressions of our national effort we feel it incumbent upon our more prominent sponsors to represent us at the termination of the march in Montgomery Alabama on Thursday march 25 please make every effort to be there as a representative of MCHR

  Aaron O Wells MD National Chairman MCHR

  Pls mk rtg (fc)

  [Stamp] 1965 Mar 21 PM 2 20

  Close

Telegram from the Medical Committee for Human Rights to Leonidas Berry, MD, president-elect of the National Medical Association, urging physicians to participate in the Selma to Montgomery march for voting rights, 1965

Courtesy National Library of Medicine

Physicians initially joined the Selma, Alabama voting rights protests to offer moral support, but soon found themselves providing first aid to marchers injured by tear gas and beatings.