Cliff Huxtable
Bill Cosby peddled his tough-love parenting style as Cliff Huxtable on the hit TV series The Cosby Show. Cliff, for a time the most famous father in America, was meted out compassion and contempt in equal measure: "I brought you into this world. I can take you out!"
Rev. Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson is always doling out the fatherly advice. Among his many memorable quotes: "Today's students can put dope in their veins or hope in their brains. If they can conceive it and believe it, they can achieve it. They must know it is not their aptitude but their attitude that will determine their altitude." Preach on!
Master P
Rapper and entrepreneur, Master P, appears to have passed on his talent and his fame on to his son, Romeo, himself a rapper and currently a student at USC on a full basketball scholarship.
Michael Kyle
Not exactly the sentimental type, Michael Kyle, Damon Wayans' character on the ABC sitcom My Wife and Kids spent a lot of time teasing his children, but he kept them grounded. When his son, Michael Junior, went through a gangster infatuation phase, Michael reminded him, "Guess what Junior? You're from the mean streets of Stamford, Connecticut."
James Evans, Sr.
James Evans, the dad in the sitcom, Good Times, was portrayed by John Amos. worked multiple minimum wage jobs to support his wife and three children, while studying for his G.E.D. The quick-witted, Evans is hailed as the model for the black TV dads that followed.
Phillip Drummond
The character on the sitcom Different Strokes, portrayed by actor Conrad Bain, adopted two orphans from Harlem after their mother, who worked for him, passed away. His unednding patience makes him a classic TV dad. "I always wanted a son," he said shortly after Arnold and Willis moved in with him, "and now I've got two of 'em. I'm a very lucky man."
Phillip Banks
Played by actor James Avery, the character Uncle Phi in the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, was caring but easily agitated by his West Philly nephew played by Will Smith. A lawyer and a family man, Uncle Phil could be stern. When Will said, "Uncle Phil, you shouldn't leave me here alone. Did you ever see the movie House Party?" Uncle Phil responded, "No Will. Did you see The Terminator?"
Will Smith
Will Smith is an entertainment mogul and has established hismself as a stable family man as well. He says: "There's so much negative imagery of black fatherhood. I've got tons of friends that are doing the right thing by their kids, and doing the right thing as a father - and how come that's not as newsworthy?"
Barack Obama
President Barack Obama is often praised for setting a good example as a father. He is known for making time for his daughters, Sasha and Malia, often cheering them on at soccer games and ballet recitals. "If I could be anything in life, I would be a good father," he has said.