Black Movies and TV Shows That Will Remind You of Your Dad

A lot of things can remind us of our parents. It could be the watch you got for your birthday or the pair of shoes you got for Christmas.

But for The Root, we thought we would list the movies and shows that prominently feature incredible Black dads and will make you want to pick up the phone and call your pops.

The Pursuit of Happyness

This movie automatically makes me think about my pops because I just imagine him crying while watching it (sorry pops). The Pursuit of Happyness tells the incredible true story of how a homeless salesman attempts to free himself and his son from homelessness.

He Got Game

Coming from a hoops-loving family, we always loved this movie. Not only is it one of the best sports films of all time, but it also tells an awesome story of a father trying to reconnect with his son after being imprisoned for years.

Daddy’s Little Girls

This is a cute little movie. In this Tyler Perry-directed film, he shows that single Black dads are just as capable as anyone to be loving and great parents.

John Q.

Another Denzel Washington classic. In this story, Denzel plays a father who is trying to get his toddler son to receive life-saving surgery. But, when he finds out he doesn’t have the means to pay for it, Denzel’s character takes another route.

Black Panther

Yes, I know it’s a superhero movie. But the themes of fatherhood and carrying on your father’s legacy hold strong in this film, for the protagonist and antagonist.

If Beale Street Could Talk

Based on James Baldwin’s book of the same name, this film is a fantastic love story about a woman who seeks to free her husband from prison before the birth of their child.

Crooklyn

An underrated Spike Lee film, this film is based on his own experiences growing up in Brooklyn, New York.

Akeelah & The Bee

A Keke Palmer classic, this film is about an intelligent young girl who struggles to find her purpose after the death of her father. But as people recognize her special talent to spell words, she goes all the way to the National Spelling Bee with the help of a professor who gives her the love she was missing for so long.

My Wife and Kids

I can’t even count how many times I’ve rewatched this show. It’s just a magnificent sitcom that hilarious shows how a Black man deals with having a wife and three kids. Just great stuff.

The Bernie Mac Show

Although Bernie Mac isn’t the father of the children he’s taking care of on the show (biologically), he might as well be.

The Proud Family

The Proud Family will always have a special place in my heart. Not only because of its classic theme song, but the family dynamic that was displayed in the show. Oscar Proud is an awesome character, but he isn’t without his own faults.

Sanford & Son

If there is an ideal Black father/son show, it’s this. This 1970s sitcom was just a good time if anyone wanted to watch a dad and son do funny shit.

Good Times

Speaking of Good Times, there’s no way I couldn’t include this classic. This 1970s sitcom is about a Black family just trying to make it through life as they live in the inner city of Chicago.

Black-Ish

The most modern sitcom on this list, Black-Ish gives a more modern take on Black family life and what it’s like to be a parent of Black children in today’s America.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

We all remember the episode where Will meets his deadbeat Dad right? Thankfully, Uncle Phil was always there to pick him up and care for him. “Rest in peace, Uncle Phil.”

One on One

Does anyone remember this early 2000s show? Unlike Daddy’s Little Girls, this show takes a more light-hearted take at being a single father but still hits home with parents.

The Wayans Bros.

Shawn and Marlon were the stars of this show, but how could we forget Pops and John Witherspoon’s amazing performance as the duo’s dad?

Family Matters

This 1990s sitcom is another great look at life for a Black middle-class family and the challenges they face.