‘Dilbert’ cartoon cut from Cleveland newspaper after creator Scott Adams’ racially-charged rant

Cleveland’s Plain Dealer newspaper will no longer deal with “Dilbert” cartoonist Scott Adams, who went on a racially charged rant telling fans to “stay the hell away from Black people.”

The Plain Dealer, founded in 1842, said “it was not a difficult decision” to cut the office-culture cartoon from its pages. And it said all Advance Media newsrooms — which include SiLive.com and NJ.com— will follow its lead.

Adams contended on his Wednesday web program racial relations in the U.S. are strained beyond repair.

“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,” Adams said. “Just get the f—k away. Wherever you have to go, just get away. Because there’s no fixing this.”

Adams’ complained he gets called a racist when he tries to “help” Black people.

“I don’t think it makes any sense as a white citizen of America to try to help Black citizens anymore,” he said. “It doesn’t seem like it pays off.”

The Plain Dealer said it expected people like Adams to call their divorce from “Dilbert” an act of “cancel culture,” which is a term popular with conservatives who feel they’re wrongly alienated because of their politics.

“I’m trending on Twitter. Was it something I said?” Adams tweeted Friday. “Come watch me get cancelled.”

In its editorial, the Plain Dealer made a case for its First Amendment rights.

“This is a decision based on the principles of this news organization and the community we serve,” the paper explained. “We are not a home for those who espouse racism. We certainly do not want to provide them with financial support.”

The Plain Dealer noted Adams’ comments were made during Black History Month.

“Unfortunately, for the next week or so, you’ll still see some Dilbert cartoons in our pages,” Plain Dealer said. Their cartoon pages are printed in advance.

The paper said it may run a gray box where “Dilbert” used to be until they decide on its replacement.

Dozens of newspapers owned by Lee Enterprises did away with “Dilbert” and other comic strips in September as the company reportedly scaled back its cartoon pages.

Adams, a 65-year-old artist originally from Windham, N.Y., first published “Dilbert” in 1989. He is largely supportive of Donald Trump, but said he “took it personally” when, he felt, the former president struggled with a question about white supremacy during a 2020 presidential debate. Adams tweeted in defense of Trump’s record on hate groups.