A Salute to TV Moms!!
by Brittnee’ Jones
The time is upon us once again where we celebrate the Matriarchs of our families! Yes, folks Mother’s Day is here!! As we celebrate the important women in our lives (those who raised us, loved us and nurtured us into amazing adults), it wouldn’t be right if we didn’t celebrate the TV Moms who have also made an impact in our lives. So much so that we wanted them to be our Moms (sorry Mama, I love you! Lol)! From the past to the present, here’s a list of TV Moms we love and appreciate!
Vivian Banks *#1* (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
No disrespect to the incredible Daphne Maxwell-Reid but it’s Janet Hubert as Aunt Viv for me. She was poised, sophisticated and she meant business, but she also knew when it was time to have fun! A wife, a mother, a Doctor and an educator and one HELL of a dancer (IYKYK)!
Harriet Winslow (Family Matters)
Harriet Winslow was the “steady voice of reason” Matriarch of the Winslow household. She kept a cool head, she was quiet yet nurturing. She was also no nonsense, but one thing was for sure…she loved her family and would let you have it if you tried to cross them. She also knew how to tame a hot-tempered guy like Carl!
Dee Mitchell (Moesha)
Being a Stepmother is a hard task especially when it comes to dealing with a teenager like Moesha, a kid who was finding his voice like Miles and a stubborn mule like Frank but she did it with style & grace. One of the coolest stepmoms ever!
Lisa Landry (Sister, Sister)
Lisa Landry is personally one of my favorite TV Moms ever! Lisa was a firecracker! Fun, outspoken, determined, no nonsense, funny, cool…oh she was everything! She may have been the fun Mom, but I felt her wrath when Tia got that tattoo! LOL!!
Tasha Mack (The Game)
Coming from a single parent household, I can’t do a salute without mentioning her. Tasha raised Malik El DeBarge Wright by herself and he became one of the top Quarterbacks of the Sabers, not to mention that she also built a sports management empire. The biggest thing I learned from Tasha is that Mama is always right, Mama will always be there to clean up your mess and you can always come back home to Mama.
Trudy Proud (The Proud Family)
God bless Trudy Proud. She had to deal with the growing teenage woes with Penny, those hyperactive twins BeBe & CeCe, Suga Mama and her Looney of a Tune husband Oscar. She had a heart of gold and she loved her family! Did I also mention that she was also a Veterinarian? Yeah, she did that!
Florida Evans (Good Times)
Florida may not be at the very top of the “favorite TV Mom” list for many, but she was important to the black sitcom world. Florida was the emotional element for the Evans household. She was the motivator, a protector of her three children and a supportive wife to James. Not to mention the strength she had to gather after the passing of James.
Clair Huxtable (The Cosby Show)
Clair Olivia Hanks Huxtable. That’s it. That’s the comment. Clair crawled so that the other TV Moms after her could walk. She had beauty, grace and charm. She was strong, she was dominant, she had confidence and independence, all the things that I adored so much about Clair. She would put you in your place real quick but with class (ask Elvin lol). A mother of 5, a wife and a working woman (an attorney at that)…Clair just may be my favorite TV Mom. Not to mention her going off on Vanessa about the Wretched and the BIG fun is such an iconic moment!
There you have it folks!! Man, wish I could spotlight all of the TV Moms because they were all amazing and made an impact in many lives!! Here are a few that I want to highlight as well!
Lucy Carmichael “Rugrats”
Maxine Chadway “Soul Food: TV Series”
Rochelle Rock “Everybody Hates Chris”
Janet “Jay” Kyle “My Wife & Kids”
Cookie Lyon “Empire”
Rainbow Johnson “Black-ish”
Tanya Baxter “That’s So Raven”
Nikki Parker “The Parkers”
Mary Jenkins “227”
Thea “Thea”
Louise Jefferson “The Jeffersons”
Who are some of your favorite TV Moms?? Which TV Moms remind you of your Mom?? Let us know in the comment box below!
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