Father’s Day is quickly approaching, and in honor of this day, we are highlighting qualities we love from our favorite Black TV Dads.

1. Caring

Randall Pearson from This is Us is all-around a great father, and one of the best qualities about him is how much he cares for others. When his adoptive dad died, he was the only one out of his siblings that took care of their mother and sacrificed going to his top college to be closer to her. Despite his brother Kevin giving him every reason not to care about him, he still made every effort to relate to his brother and be there for him. He was also the voice of reason when problems arose in his family and cared deeply for his adoptive daughter when she was struggling to assimilate into his family. Because of this, Randall is easily one of the best TV dads.

2. Protective

Jefferson Pierce in Black Lightning was as protective as they come in dads. As a superhero, Jefferson was no stranger to danger, so he was protective of his daughters and tried his best to shield them away from trouble. Being a principal as well, he was seen as an influential figure in the community and was also there for his students and challenged them to be better people. Although Jefferson was overbearing with his protective nature at times, he meant well. His daughters could count on him to protect them with his lightning abilities.

3. Funny

A classic in TV history, My Wife and Kids, introduced us to one of the funniest dads, Michael Kyle. We love someone who can make us laugh, and Michael did that by being playful and making jokes at his family’s expense. Whether he was over-the-top scheming to catch his kids in a lie or getting himself into ridiculous situations, he was always fun to watch. Though his jokes are outdated now, we appreciate the laughs.

4. Dependable

The relationship between Uncle Phil and Will was a standout in the original The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and in the new reboot, Bel-Air, we continue to see how reliable and dependable Uncle Phil is to Will. Despite Will not having his dad in his life, Uncle Phil became a father figure to Will and offered countless life lessons to Will. Even though they didn’t always see eye to eye on issues, Uncle Phil was always there to support Will whenever he was in need of help, and that’s something to admire in a father figure.

5. Present

Wrongly convicted for a crime he didn’t commit, Aaron Wallace, in For Life could have easily used prison as an excuse for not being present in his daughter’s life. Yet, Aaron didn’t let prison become a barrier to developing a relationship with his daughter. He got a burner phone, so he could talk to her whenever he could. He also used every opportunity to see her when she came to visit him at the prison. Their bond became even stronger when (spoiler alert) he got out of prison and supported her with the baby.

Oyindamola Bamgbola