This newspaper has dropped Herb and Jamaal, one of two comics featuring non-white characters, in the name of delivering “fresh content” and meeting the “preferences of (their) daily audiences.” Herb and Jamaal was replaced by three comics, each of which has been in syndication since at least 1985 and each of which features nearly all-white characters.

Herb and Jamaal may not have been laugh-out-loud-funny, but what comic is these days? At least it delivered educational value and highlighted voices we don’t often hear from in the comics section. In fact, Herb and Jamaal was created specifically to increase representation of Black people in comics.

It’s hard to ignore that this change comes at a time when anything diverse or inclusive is under very public attack. Even if it wasn’t intentional, the timing is dubious and the result is disappointing. I would hope the editors would be more thoughtful in their decisions.

Rachel Healy
South Portland