Why this scene from ‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’ sparks allegations of racism

Charles Schulz A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is a classic Peanuts 1973 special aired during the holidays. But one particular scene has sparked controversy in recent years.

In the scene, Franklin, who is the only black character, sits alone on one side of a Thanksgiving table, while most of the other children sit together on the other side (Linus is seated at the head of Table). Some people consider the scene problematic and even racist, arguing that Franklin is separated from the rest of the characters, who are white.

Darnell Hunt, dean of social sciences and professor of sociology and African American studies at UCLA, told Yahoo Life: “ [Franklin] on that long side by itself, it could be interpreted that no one wanted to sit next to him.

Hunt, who remembers “feeling included in a way I didn’t have before” when he first saw Franklin Peanuts comic strip, says Schulz “probably thought he was doing a good thing by including the character at all.” But Hunt says it’s a “classic example” of what can be missed “even when you’re trying to be inclusive.”

“Today that wouldn’t be acceptable,” says Hunt. “It really meets the need for more inclusive creators and storytellers behind the scenes who produce these images.” He adds, “That’s why it’s so important to have people in the writers room and in production who might be more sensitive to these issues.”

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But not everyone sees the scene as problematic. On November 20, the Charles M. Schulz Museum hosted an online event with black cartoonists Robb Armstrong, Darrin Bell, Elizabeth Montague and Bianca Xunise where they discussed the controversy over A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

Bell, who won a Pulitzer Prize for editorial comics, said a lot of the cartoons look like Rorschach tests, in which people have their own interpretations of certain scenes. “When I saw this picture [of Franklin], my first thought was that Charles Schulz really wanted Franklin to be seen and Franklin was really important, ”Bell said. He added that Peanuts was a “kind” and “inclusive” comic.

Armstrong, who created the comic Start of jump, said it relates to the scene of Franklin sitting alone based on his experiences at school. But he says Schulz, who died in 2000, was “not a racist”, calling him his “idol” and “a wonderful human being”. Schulz, who knew Armstrong professionally, reportedly requested permission to use Armstrong’s last name for the character of Franklin when Schulz realized Franklin needed it in the 1990s.

The character Franklin first appeared in the Peanuts comic book July 31, 1968. A retired teacher named Harriet Glickman convinced Schulz to add a black character to the tape that year. According to New York Times, after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, Glickman began to reflect on the influence of mass media to “shape the unconscious attitudes of our children” and “felt that something could be done through our tapes drawn ”.

Glickman wrote a letter to Schulz: “I’m sure you don’t make radical changes in such an important institution without a lot of shock waves from unions, clients, etc. You do, however, have a stature and reputation that can stand up to a lot. “

She added: “I hope the result will be more of a black child.”

Schulz responded to Glickman’s letter, according to the New York Times, saying he appreciated her suggestion to include a black child in his comic. But he said he was “facing the same problem as other designers who wish to comply with your suggestion.” He added that “we would all love to be able to do that” but said that “each of us is afraid” it would appear that they are “patronizing” their “black friends”.

According to New York Times, Glickman shared Schulz’s response, with his permission, with one of his black friends. This friend, Kenneth Kelly, suggested that a black character be featured “in a casual everyday scene” – rather than making a big announcement about it – to “suggest racial friendship”.

That was apparently all Schulz needed to hear. Franklin joined the Peanuts comic a few months later. But it wouldn’t be without a fight: when the cartoon’s publisher, United Feature Syndicate, asked for the addition of a black character, Schulz reportedly replied, “Either you execute it as I drew it or I quits.”

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