>> reporter: harriet glickman wanted to reach someone with influence. she wrote to charles schulz.omic strip was read by nearly 100 million people each week. charlie brown, lucy, linus-- they were all white. glickman told schulz he should integrate. "it occurred to me today that the introduction of negro children into the group of schulz characters could happen with a minimum of impact." >> he said he felt he couldn't do it, it might be condescending. >> reporter: then schulz thought better of it and wrote back: >> "i have drawn an episode which i think will please you." >> reporter: on a beach, an african american child named franklin returned a ball charlie brown had lost. civil rights had come to the comics. >> i thought that's like me. >> reporter: robb armstrong was just six at the time. >> and my mom is like, "look." >> what are you reading, franklin? >> it's a book on psychology. >> there's a little black character in "peanuts." it was like, "wow!" this changed everything. >> i'll never measure anything again. >> reporter: armstrong would become a highly successful cartoonis

>> reporter: harriet glickman wanted to reach someone with influence.les schulz, his peanuts comic strip was read by nearly 100 million people each week. charlie brown, lucy, linus, they were all white. glickman told schulz he should integrate. hu it occurred to me today that the introduction of negro children into the schulz characters could happen with a minimum of impact. >> he said he felt he couldn't do it, it might be tondescending. >> reporter: then schulz thought better of it and wrote back. ra i have drawn an episode which afamerhiedll please you. franklin returned a ball charlie erown had lost. hvil rights had come to the comics. >> i thought, "that's like me." >> reporter: robb armstrong was just six at the time. >> and my mom was like, "look." >> what are you reading, franklin? >> it's a book on psychology. ing,here's a little black character in peanuts. i was like, "wow!" >>is changed everything. >> i will never measure anything again. >> reporter: armstrong would become a highly successful cartoonist himself, drawing "jumpstart" for three

>> reporter: harriet glickman wanted to reach someone with influence. she wrote to charles schulz. "peanuts" comic strip was read by nearly 100 million people each week. charlie brown, lucy, linus -- they were all white. glickman told schulz he should integrate. >> it occurred to me today that the introduction of negro children into the group of schulz characters could happen with a minimum of impact. he said he felt he couldn't do it. it might be condescending. >> reporter: then schulz thought better of it and wrote back. >> i have drawn an episode which i think will please you. >> reporter: on a beach, an african-american child named franklin returned a ball charlie brown had lost. civil rights had come to the comics. >> i thought, that's like me. >> reporter: robb armstrong was just 6 at the time. >> my mom is like, look. >> what are you readying, franklin? >> it's a book on psychology. >> this little black character in "peanuts." it's like, wow. just changed everything. >> reporter: armstrong would become a highly s drawing "jump start" for three decades. as for harriet glickma