Before James Evans, the African American matriarch of a poor family in Chicago, Black fathers on television were rarely seen. The few who did make it on screen were usually shiftless, lazy and not to be taken seriously. As portrayed by the late John Amos, James Evans didn’t check any of those boxes on “Good Times.” He worked a series of menial jobs, loved and protected his family and wasn’t afraid to fight for them. Evans was the type of character many Black families in the 1970s saw in their own homes or extended families, but this was the first time they saw this archetype presented in popular culture.

James owes his existence to Esther Rolle, who played his wife, Florida Evans. When producers decided to spin off her character from the popular sitcom “Maude” into her own series, they wanted her to be a single parent. This, despite her character having a husband on “Maude,” a dock worker named “Henry Evans,” played by John Amos. She insisted that the family have a mother and a father, and they relented. “Henry” became “James” and the Evans family was suddenly longtime residents of a housing project modeled after the infamous Cabrini-Green Homes in Chicago’s South Side. 

Amos and Rolle fought to maintain the dignity and accuracy of the show’s depiction of a Black family. This wasn’t easy to do when the writing staff included people who didn’t have extensive knowledge of experience of African American culture, such as former weatherman turned comedian, David Letterman. Things came to head when the antics of the son, J.J. Evans Jr., became more prominent and pronounced, turning the character and his catchphrase into the show’s signature. Rolle voiced her displeasure in a 1975 Ebony magazine article. Amos took things a step further.

Similar to the character he portrayed, Amos demonstrated a tendency for swift confrontation. He confronted the writers about J.J.’s words and actions and demanded that changes be made. His forceful manner would bring about a seismic change to the program, but not the one he intended – he was fired. In a two-part episode called “The Big Move,” viewers were told that James Evans died in a car accident. Rolle powerfully conveyed the grief of Florida Evans repeating a curse word three times as the reality sank in.

The career of John Amos continued. He would play roles in the TV movie “Roots,” the political drama, “The West Wing,” and a father figure on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” He would also play another protective father in the comedy movie, “Coming to America,” as Cleo McDowell, a restaurant owner and entrepreneur.

Recent years weren’t the best for Amos. As his health failed, his children disagreed on the best options for his care and things got messy, as they do in families. Last week, his son, K.C. Amos, announced that his father had died – 41 days prior. Like the hard-working, loving character he was known for, Amos slipped away from us off screen, leaving us to remember the legacy he left behind.