Father’s Day is this weekend and stores all over are reaping the benefits by selling ties, home improvement and meat products. Of course, we realize that Father’s Day isn’t a momentous occasion for everyone, particularly those who grew up without a father. But thank goodness for those TV dads that we all grew to love as a kid that taught us some of life’s greatest lessons. So, as a tribute to fathers everywhere Urban Faith would like to take a walk down Memory Lane with our top five black TV dads:
John Amos
James Evans
No talk of favorite black TV dads would be complete without James Evans from the hit 70’s television sitcom “Good Times.” James goes down in history as the hardest working dad on the small screen. He was always hustling making sure Florida and the kids had what they needed, and he held it down by any means necessary. Most importantly, he made sure to steer his kids in the right direction by avoiding drugs and gangs in the middle of the projects. Nobody was going to grow up and act a fool in James Evans’ house. He had the authority and the weight that every father should have.
Carl Winslow
Remember Carl Winslow from the 90’s favorite Family Matters? Carl would get into some crazy situations, but in the end, the 90’s dad genuinely cared about his family. He was always there for his three kids Eddie, Laura, and Judy, his wife, Harriet, and, of course, we can’t forget his love-hate relationship for the family’s next door neighbor Steve Urkel. Carl would try his hardest to be stubborn and refuse to give in to his family’s requests, but in reality he was a big, soft teddy bear.
Julius
You have to love Julius from “Everybody Hates Chris.” He knew how to teach the value of money. I mean, if you know that $.17 cents worth of orange juice is left in the container, then you will not pour it down the drain in Julius’ house. That’s especially if you’re working two or three jobs to buy that orange juice. Julius taught us not only to make money but to keep money. End of story.
Uncle Phil
Yes he was rich and bourgeoisie, but Uncle Phil knew what was up. When it came time to throw on a dashiki and let folks know the way they did it back in the 60’s. the famous uncle from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was ready. Not only that, but Uncle Phil took in his nephew Will and raised him as his own.
Cliff Huxtable
Now before you get into the details of the recent controversy that has saturated the media, please remember that Bill Cosby is not Cliff Huxtable. Sure, he played the character on one of television’s most popular sitcoms in history, but Cliff Huxtable is, in fact, a character. And, what a character he was. Cliff could act silly with his kids, teach some valuable life lessons, and then go and do something truly ridiculous that made you realize he was just a man like everyone else. And, on top of that, he also devoted his time to being a great husband and practiced medicine in his community. Real-life controversy aside, Cliff Huxtable (the character), definitely deserves a spot on this list.
So, those are our top five black TV dads. They may not have been our real dads, but they made us appreciate fatherhood. In fact, those qualities they displayed on TV are very similar to “the Father from whom every family on earth derives its name” Ephesians 3:14-15.
Let us know who your favorite TV dad is in the comments.