You probably remember waking up on Saturdays, cereal bowl in hand, waiting for the screen to flicker to life. For a long time, the faces looking back didn't look like everyone in the room. When we talk about old black cartoon characters, we aren't just talking about nostalgia; we’re talking about a slow-motion revolution that took decades to get right. Honestly, it started out pretty ugly.
In the early days of animation—think the 1920s through the 1940s—black characters weren't really "characters" at all. They were visual shorthand for some of the worst stereotypes imaginable. Animators at studios like Warner Bros. and MGM used "blackface" designs because they were fast to draw. Jet-black skin, huge white circles for eyes, and oversized red lips. It was lazy. It was hurtful. Characters like Bosko or the "Censored Eleven" shorts are now locked away in vaults because they represent a period where African Americans were depicted as buffoons or servants.
The 1960s and the "Franklin" Breakthrough
Change didn't happen because Hollywood woke up one day and found a conscience. It happened because people pushed.
Take Franklin Armstrong from Peanuts. He's basically the gold standard for how to introduce a black character with dignity. On July 31, 1968, Franklin met Charlie Brown on a beach. They built a sandcastle together. That was it. No jokes about his skin, no "jive" talk—just two kids being kids.
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"I have drawn an episode which I think will please you." — Charles M. Schulz in a letter to Harriet Glickman.
Glickman was a schoolteacher who urged Schulz to integrate the strip after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Schulz was worried about being "patronizing," but he eventually did it. Even then, the "powers that be" were scared. Some syndicates tried to block Franklin, but Schulz famously told them, "Either you print it the way I draw it, or I quit."
That’s how you set a precedent.
When the 70s Brought the Funk
By the 1970s, the floodgates sorta opened. But it was a weird mix. On one hand, you had the Harlem Globetrotters (1970), which was the first Saturday morning cartoon to feature a predominantly black cast. They were voiced by actors like Scatman Crothers. It was cool, but they were still "performers."
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Then came Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids in 1972.
Regardless of what we think of Bill Cosby now, you can't ignore the impact this show had at the time. It was set in North Philadelphia. It dealt with real stuff: skipping school, peer pressure, and even gun violence. Characters like Weird Harold, Mushmouth, and Dumb Donald weren't just background fluff. They had lives. For the first time, millions of kids saw an urban environment that felt lived-in and authentic, rather than a caricature.
Some "Firsts" You Might Not Know:
- Valerie Brown: In 1970, Josie and the Pussycats introduced Valerie. She wasn't just "the black girl"; she was the brains of the group. She fixed the gadgets. She played the tambourine. She was arguably the most competent person in the band.
- The Jackson 5ive: This show (1971-1972) was a psychedelic trip. It featured the real music of the Jacksons but used voice actors (except for Diana Ross in the pilot). It was one of the first times black pop culture icons were treated like superheroes.
- Lt. Uhura: When Star Trek: The Animated Series aired in 1973, Nichelle Nichols returned to voice Uhura. It proved that black characters belonged in the future, not just in "urban" settings.
The Action Heroes of the 80s
The 1980s shifted into high gear with the "token" character becoming a staple of every action squad.
Think about G.I. Joe. You had Stalker and Doc. In The Transformers, you had Blaster. Was it perfect? No. Often, these characters were the "best friend" or the "technical guy" who didn't get his own story arc. But for a kid in 1985, seeing Winston Zeddemore in The Real Ghostbusters meant everything. He wasn't just a scientist; he was the everyman who kept the team grounded.
There’s also Panthro from ThunderCats. He was the pilot, the mechanic, and the muscle. He was voiced by Earle Hyman. You’ve probably heard his voice and didn't even realize he was also the grandfather on The Cosby Show. The 80s were full of these crossovers where black stage and screen actors finally found steady work in the "booth."
Why These "Old" Characters Still Matter
People sometimes ask why we dwell on these old shows. It’s because representation isn't just about "counting heads." It’s about the quality of the soul.
When you look at a character like Black Vulcan from Super Friends, he was created because the studio couldn't get the rights to Black Lightning. He felt a bit derivative. But for a young boy of color, seeing a man who could control lightning and stand toe-to-toe with Superman was a revelation. It changed the internal narrative of what was possible.
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There is a huge difference between a character who is "black-skinned" and a character who is "Black." The former is just a palette swap. The latter has a culture, a history, and a voice. Shows like Fat Albert or even the later Proud Family (which technically started in 2001 but carries that 90s DNA) understood this.
The Reality of the "Sidekick" Trap
We have to be honest: for decades, these characters were trapped in the "sidekick" role.
The white protagonist led; the black character provided the "cool factor" or the technical support. It took a long time to break that. We didn't get a mainstream black-led superhero show until much later.
But those old characters were the scouts. They were the ones who proved to nervous network executives that audiences—all audiences—would tune in for stories that didn't feature a white lead. They paved the road that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse eventually drove a truck through.
Next Steps for Your Nostalgia Trip:
- Check out the "Censored Eleven": If you want to see the history of what not to do, research the banned Looney Tunes shorts to understand the context of early animation.
- Watch "Welcome Home, Franklin": Apple TV+ released a special recently that actually addresses the "sitting alone at the table" controversy from the 1973 Thanksgiving special. It's a great piece of modern context for an old character.
- Listen to the voices: Look up actors like Phil LaMarr or Cree Summer. They are the legends who took the torch from the early pioneers and voiced many of your favorite characters from the 90s onwards.