'Peanuts' character Franklin, originating amid the Civil Rights Movement, is getting the spotlight

“Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin” is a lesson in friendship for young children delivered by characters who used to be as popular as Bluey, Peppa Pig and the Paw Patrol are today.

But for Gen Xers and those older, the AppleTV+ animated special premiering Feb. 16 is a moment that's been overdue for more than 55 years. Finally, the first Black character in “Peanuts” is getting a starring role.

Franklin’s history in popular culture is tied to national tragedy. In the wake of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination on April 4, 1968, a schoolteacher named Harriet Glickman wrote a letter to Charles M. Schulz suggesting that he add a Black character to his comic strip to help change "the vast sea of misunderstanding, hate, fear, and violence" that existed in the country.

At first, Schulz was reluctant to integrate the “Peanuts” gang because, as he wrote in reply, he was afraid that he would be considered "patronizing." Nevertheless, Glickman persisted and asked whether she could show Schulz's letter to some of her Black friends to get their opinions, which led to positive feedback.

Not long afterward, Franklin debuted in the strip on July 31, 1968.

Despite being a landmark character, Franklin wasn’t given much of a personality or even any quirks by Schulz.  He wasn’t bossy like Lucy, philosophical like Linus or lovestruck like Sally.  Craig Schulz, the son of the “Peanuts” creator, told NBC”s “Today” show that his dad “specifically wanted Franklin to be as well-grounded and neutral as possible so as not to stir up controversy.”

Still, a scene from 1973’s “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” has been the subject of criticism on social media in recent years. It depicts Franklin sitting alone on one side of a rectangular table, while the white “Peanuts” characters and Snoopy fill the chairs on the opposite side and the ends of the table. "To our eyes today, it seems jarring," noted National Public Radio in a November story marking the special's 50th anniversary.

The scene was discussed during a 2020 online event at the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, California, that featured a panel of Black cartoonists, according to Yahoo Entertainment. Robb Armstrong, the creator of the comic strip "Jump Start" and a good friend of Schulz, said at the time, "I can't believe how accurate that drawing is — I feel like I'm that dude on that side of the table to this day." He also stressed that the late cartoonist wasn't a racist and was "a wonderful, wonderful human being" who, in the late 1990s, asked his permission to give Franklin the last name Armstrong.

Now, in a full-circle moment, Robb Armstrong is one of the co-writers of the AppleTV+ special, as is Craig Schulz.

“Welcome Home, Franklin” brings a new level of meaning to the inclusivity of "Peanuts." The cartoon delves into Franklin’s background as the child of a military family that often must pack up and move to new locations. Early on, when he arrives at his latest town and sees a schoolyard filled with the mostly all-white “Peanuts” cast, he says: “One thing was for sure. There was a lack of variety in this place.”

In a nice nod to his first appearance in the “Peanuts” strip, Franklin meets Charlie Brown the exact same way he did in 1968 — on a beach as he returns Charlie Brown’s lost beach ball. The two later become friends by teaming up in a soapbox derby, which requires them to spend time together building a vehicle.

While race isn’t addressed directly, the topic emerges as the boys get to know each other. When Charlie asks Franklin what kind of music he likes, Franklin says he is a fan of Stevie Wonder, Little Richard and James Brown. Then he plays a record by a new favorite, jazz great John Coltrane.

When Charlie and Franklin find out they both like baseball, Franklin says that his great-uncle played in the Negro League and explains how professional baseball used to be segregated. “Wow, a kid can really learn a lot hanging around with you, Franklin,” says Charlie, nicely summing up the importance of diversity in schools, in workplaces and in everyday life.

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It’s not a groundbreaking moment when Franklin jokingly asks Charlie Brown whether he's related to James Brown. (“I don’t think so,” Chas replies sincerely.) But it certainly is gratifying to see Franklin leave the edges of the action and move into the spotlight so he can display a sense of humor and share how hard it is to make new friends over and over again.

And that Thanksgiving scene? It is reimagined here in such a sweet, gentle way that longtime “Peanuts” fans may find themselves getting a little teary-eyed. “Welcome Home, Franklin” is a fine addition to the legacy of a comic strip that, though not always perfect, always aimed for empathy and kindness.