Franklin

From Peanuts Wiki

Franklin is a character in Peanuts. Introduced in 1968, Franklin was the first African-American character to appear in the strip. He met Charlie Brown at the beach. He mentioned that his father was a soldier fighting in Vietnam.

Franklin sits in front of Peppermint Patty at school and plays center field on her team. He acts as a foil for Linus, being as well versed in the Old Testament as him. He also has conversations about his grandfather with Charlie Brown.

Though never mentioned in the comic strip, You're in the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown gives Franklin's last name as Armstrong.

Franklin's introduction in the era of race relations and segregation proved to be controversial. In an interview, Schulz remembered a particular letter he received about Franklin. The letter, from a Southern editor, was concerned about showing him at the same school as Peppermint Patty.