12 Fresh Prince Innovations

In light of the recent passing of actor James Avery, who played Uncle Phil, let us look back at one of the most memorable shows of the 90s. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a quintessentially 90s show. The clothing and music perfectly embody the decade and is still referenced today in culture, clothing and fan art.

On various social justice blogs, many anti-racism activists have talked about how important Uncle Phil was as a character. Not only was he a memorable and funny personality, but he was also a very progressive depiction of an African American father figure. This was not just because he was a successful judge and a good family man, but because he took in his nephew during hard times. Usually in the media, when we see children of color being taken in and helped it's by white individuals, such as in The Blind Side.