Newspapers across the US have over the weekend, dropped the "Dilbert" comic strip after the comic creator, Scott Adams' racist remarks calling Black Americans a "hate group" and suggesting that White people should "get the hell away" from them, CNN reported.
Following the incident, the USA Today Network which operates hundreds of newspapers said it had pulled the plug on the long-running comic strip. The Washington Post and The Plain Dealer in Cleveland said they would no longer carry the comic.
The move came after Adams, the cartoonist behind "Dilbert," encouraged segregation in a rant on YouTube. His comments came in response to a poll from the conservative firm Rasmussen Reports that said 53 per cent of Black Americans agreed with the statement, "It's OK to be White."
Adams on his YouTube show "Real Coffee with Scott Adams" on Wednesday said, "If nearly half of all Blacks are not OK with White people, according to this poll, not according to me, according to this poll, that's a hate group."
"I don't want to have anything to do with them. And I would say, based on the current way things are going, the best advice I would give to White people is to get the hell away from Black people, just get the f**k away ... because there is no fixing this," Adams added, CNN reported.
Later, Adams took to his Twitter to say that he was only "advising people to avoid hate" and suggested that the cancellation of his cartoon signals that free speech in America is under assault.
Andrews McMeel Syndication, the company that distributes "Dilbert," did not immediately respond to a CNN request for comment.
The newspapers that have cut the comic strip have been transparent with readers.
"Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert comic strip, went on a racist rant this week ... and we will no longer carry his comic strip in The Plain Dealer," wrote Chris Quinn, editor of the paper. "This is not a difficult decision," he said according to CNN.
"We are not a home for those who espouse racism. We certainly do not want to provide them with financial support," Quinn added.
According to Gannett, which publishes the USA Today Network of newspapers, it aims to "lead with inclusion and strive to maintain a respectful and equitable environment for the diverse communities we serve nationwide".
The Washington Post said it had also pulled the comic strip from the newspaper.
"In light of Scott Adams's recent statements promoting segregation, The Washington Post has ceased publication of the Dilbert comic strip," it said, CNN reported.
( With inputs from ANI )
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