In what proves to be a sign of the times, a new Apple TV+ special will feature the first black character in the long-running cartoon strip “Peanuts.”
Franklin Armstrong made his debut after the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. when schoolteacher Harriet Glickman wrote Charles Schulz and said that introducing a black character would have a positive effect on a racially divided society.
The special is titled, “Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin.” It is the first time that Franklin has been the center of the story, with the show following the character as he moves into the neighborhood of Charlie Brown and Snoopy.
The plot line is that Franklin’s dad works for the military and that results in the family moving a lot. And while Franklin relies on advice from his grandfather, which is written down in a notebook, he has trouble fitting in with the all-white Peanuts gang — other than Snoopy.
According to the Daily Mail, the special sets out to make atonement for past sins.
“More than four decades after it first aired, Peanuts executives are making amends for an iconic scene showing segregation as a black character sat away from others from the famed comic,” the British tabloid reported. “The new show comes after the controversial 1973 Thanksgiving special that displayed a scene where Franklin sat alone, on the opposite side of the dining room table across from the other characters, including Snoopy, who are white.”
A similar dinner scene is recreated in the new special, with Franklin not only on the same side of the table but the center of attention.
“We use the comic strip as our Bible and we build upon that. This story was one that we all really wanted to tell. Everybody loves Franklin. We just felt he deserved a lot of respect,” executive producer Craig Schulz said, according to the Daily Mail.
“This is our chance to kind of rectify the whole thing,” Schulz added.
Suffice it to say, social media users who’ve had their fill of wokeness were a bit skeptical of the iconic cartoon strip being used as a platform for more moral lecturing.
Here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story, as seen on X:
People who are taught to view the world through a racist lens will see racism everywhere
— Tesla Operator (@TeslaOperator) February 18, 2024
Ridiculous if you actually know the story of the characters.
— El Grandulón (@elgrandulonfl) February 19, 2024
Quick, someone give him a statue and a million dollars so he can cry racism even more.
— Bob Brooks (@Gossamer2121) February 19, 2024
Looks to me like they were wanting to make the character the center of attention by sitting across from him so they could all see his face better.
— Still Hopeful (@moodyblue40s) February 18, 2024
How many times y’all gonna jump the shark with this gimmick?
— Jim Cockrum (@jim_cockrum) February 19, 2024
I’ve never seen Franklin having any of the group over to his house ……just saying
— Agent Covfefe…an American and Ultra MAGA (@CovfefeAgent) February 18, 2024
Look at the smiles on all of their faces
Obviously, they’re racists
— Chris Monley (@MU_CHRIS) February 18, 2024
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.