James Evans played by John Amos was the most important character on Good Times. He was the center that held it all together and really was the primary comic-relief too. James was a mentally and physically strong, responsible Black man who was deeply respected by his wife, his children and all who came into contact with him. His character was not emasculated into a buffoon by white supremacist writers in exchange for him being the leader of his family. There was no woman that he was trading insults with stereotypically like in so many other shows with all-Black casts. Florida Evans (Esther Rolle) was his love and his helpmate, his support.
The Evans family represented a huge demographic of American Black folks. We rocked with them, celebrated with them, hoped with them and related to their struggles. I feel like this was probably the most important "black" show on television.
John Amos held it all together. He (along with Esther Rolle) fought hard behind the scenes against having the show represent a white mockery of us, and paid the price of them firing him and killing off his character. This was because he realized the importance of representation. Good Times was the first American show featuring a Black nuclear family- a huge responsibility. His exit from Good Times robbed the show of its heart. There would have been no Cliff Huxtable or Phillip Banks without their first being a James Evans Sr.
In my opinion, there was no better father on TV. He was the blueprint. I knew this one was coming eventually, but knowing did not cushion the impact of this sad news.
Rest in the presence of the Almighty, Baba John and thank you for your invaluable contributions to Black and American cultures.