Franklin, first black ‘Peanuts’ character, turns 50

Franklin, the first African-American to appear in the classic comic strip "Peanuts" alongside Charlie Brown and Snoopy, turns 50 on Tuesday --- a major milestone for a character born in a time of racial tensions after the slaying of Martin Luther King. The young Franklin joined the iconic line-up on July 31, 1968 during a summer of race riots and civil unrest in the wake of King's assassination on April 4 that year. At the time, "Peanuts" was carried in hundreds of newspapers --- and at the height of its popularity, exposing the foibles of humanity through the shenanigans of a group of children and one crafty beagle. Franklin's arrival made a major splash --- and earned ma...

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