Franklin was always just kinda there. He felt like one of the orbital characters that existed, but didn't really do a whole lot, like Shermy. He didn't have a gimmick, like Schroder or Pig-Pen. The most interesting thing about him was that he went to school across town with Peppermint Patty and Marcie, and thus was usually on their team when playing baseball.
And really, there's nothing wrong with that. If anything, making the black kid just another friendly acquaintance to Charlie Brown should send a good message. But of course, it doesn't count as representation unless they're the lead and speaking "truth to power" or whatever....
He didn't have a gimmick, like Schroder or Pig-Pen.
Umm… he was black. That was his gimmick. Don’t overthink this - Schulz didn’t put Franklin in like a “everyday kid” to see that black people were just like white people. Schulz put him in as a response to MLKs assassination in 1968 and leftists prodding him that his strip was all white and needed diversity and then didn’t do ANYTHING with the character like a typical leftist. Snoops cousin Spike has more personality!
Franklin was always just kinda there. He felt like one of the orbital characters that existed, but didn't really do a whole lot, like Shermy. He didn't have a gimmick, like Schroder or Pig-Pen. The most interesting thing about him was that he went to school across town with Peppermint Patty and Marcie, and thus was usually on their team when playing baseball.
And really, there's nothing wrong with that. If anything, making the black kid just another friendly acquaintance to Charlie Brown should send a good message. But of course, it doesn't count as representation unless they're the lead and speaking "truth to power" or whatever....
Umm… he was black. That was his gimmick. Don’t overthink this - Schulz didn’t put Franklin in like a “everyday kid” to see that black people were just like white people. Schulz put him in as a response to MLKs assassination in 1968 and leftists prodding him that his strip was all white and needed diversity and then didn’t do ANYTHING with the character like a typical leftist. Snoops cousin Spike has more personality!