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Happy Franklin Day: First Black 'Peanuts' Character Honored

On this date 47 years ago, the PEANUTS comic strip welcomed Franklin Armstrong among its ranks.
By Jeff Johnson
Twentieth Century Fox & Peanuts Worldwide LLC.

Today marks an important, yet unknown milestone for African American representation in entertainment. On this date 47 years ago, the PEANUTS comic strip welcomed Franklin Armstrong among its ranks.

Following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., a school teacher named Harriet Glickman wrote a letter to PEANUTS creator Charles M. Schulz, beseeching him to add a black character to the comic. Franklin appeared on July 31, 1968, symbolically highlighting the importance of desegregation at a tumultuous time for race relations in the United States.

Franklin isn’t just a supplementary character to the series. When he isn’t break dancing his heart away or practicing ice hockey, he’s playing the most important role of Charlie Brown’s best friend!

PEANUTS celebrates this milestone today with the #FranklinDay social media initiative, as they look to spread awareness about the character. Franklin’s origin is yet another reminder of the countless ways that African Americans have influenced entertainment.

Happy #FranklinDay!

“Franklin” meets Charlie Brown on the beach in his first appearance.
“Franklin” meets Charlie Brown on the beach in his first appearance.
Jeff Johnson

Jeff J. provides his unique digital media services to a variety of outlets. Jeff hosts the web show Gamer’s Life, and created the ADHD Show Podcast. He covers the NYC entertainment scene for The YBF, and serves as the Social Media Editor for SingleBlackMale.org. Whether it's behind the scenes or in front of the screen, Jeff strives to entertain, educate and interact with audiences of all sizes and demographics. Jeff has fun being him, as we all should!

 

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