5 Black Drama Movies & TV Starring Kick Ass Dads

With Father’s Day around the corner, we’re highlighting some of our favorite black drama movies and TV shows starring kick-ass black dads. These are classic black movies we love with our favorite black fathers on television and in movies. We’ve got our favorite black comedy movies tucked in here too! These characters represent positive images of black dads that are rarely promoted by mainstream media. All of them have qualities of real-life, everyday men, but are magnified by exceptional actors, who are both entertaining and authentic at the same time.  None of them are perfect, but all of them serve as realistic ideals of a decent black dad.

Black Drama Movies

Black Fathers in Movies + TV

1: Furious Styles, Boyz N The Hood

“I’m sorry about your friend… but that is their problem, Tre. You my son, you my problem…you my only son and I’m not gon’ lose you to no bulls–t…I love you!” These were the lines of Lawrence Fishburne’s character, determined to keep his son from following the tragic path of his peers in south central Los Angeles. I particularly like the fishing trip scene, that show Furious and 10 year old Tre having the talk. Later, they have the talk again while Furious is giving 17 year old Tre a haircut. These moments of father-son quality time, are opportunities to connect and plant seeds of wisdom. Furious kicked knowledge throughout the movie. Whether it’s to the crowd of youngsters in Compton about gentrification, or to his son about safe sex, Furious Styles made being black, educated, and socially conscious seem cool. After the movie, I remember thinking “that’s the kind of dad that I want to be”.

2: John Quincy Archibald, John Q

This is one of my favorite roles played by Denzel Washington. John Q. Archibald is a common man willing to sacrifice his own life for his son. I probably cried more in this movie than I’d like to admit. The most memorable line for me was “I will not bury my son! My son will bury me!” How could you not tear up, watching a father take hostages in a hospital to get his son a heart transplant? John Q demonstrated that there is no love equivalent to that of a parent for their child.

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3: Julius, Everybody Hates Chris

Terry Crews’ character, Julius, was very realistic and relatable in this black comedy movie, Everybody Hates Chris. Julius often worked multiple jobs and bargained to provide for his family. Saying that he was frugal is an understatement. For him, everything was about paying bills and getting a bargain. His extreme cheapness speaks to the struggles of poor, working class families. Julius handled problems and dilemmas calm and compassion, and was usually reasonable. When Chris is in trouble, he offers words of wisdom that eventually resonate, after first getting lost in endless analogies and rambling. He was overworked and underpaid, but still took time to provide his kids with guidance.  Just as important, is that he treated their mother with love, respect, and deference – though sometimes at the detriment of his wallet.

4: James Evans, Good Times

I remember as a kid thinking “I’d hate get a whoopin from him!”  He was the dad who didn’t mess around.  He was a hard worker, who put his wife and kids as his first priority. Though he was sometimes tough on the kids, he was occasionally funny and light spirited.  He corrected then when they were wrong, but had their backs when needed.  James Evans had a wife who was equally as strong, and knew how to reason with him. James and Florida Evans had different roles in the home, but shared power by yielding for one another when necessary. He was a big, strong, mean looking dude.  But if I had to work in a factory in South side Chicago and provide for a family of five, I’d look the same way.

5: McCullough, The Bernie Mac Show

Uncle Bernie did the honorable deed of raising his sister’s three kids, while she was in rehab. Bernie Mac was one of the funniest men on the planet, and it was entertaining to see a glimpse of him as a parent. What I appreciated most about the show were the blunders of fatherhood and learning from trial and error. This is what real parenting is like: a balance of stress and frustration, with humor and joy. Usually on family sitcoms, the lessons are for the kids. On The Bernie Mac show, the lessons were for Uncle Bernie.

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Honorable mentions: Cliff Huxtable – The Cosby Show, Chris Gardner – Pursuit of Happyness, and Carl Lee Hailey – A Time To Kill