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Mothers come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors.

As head of the household holding down the fort as a single parent, or attempting to keep the peace under a rowdier roof, here are some of our favorite character moms (barring Tyler Perry in Madea drag) who have brought some much-needed color to an otherwise monochromatic state of family dynamics on television.

And if you think you’ve got a mother worthy of such a list, here’s your chance to prove it.

Let the “First Lady” in your life—and other Huffpost readers—know how special she is by telling us about her in the comments section, and be sure to enter Optimum Salon Haircare's Mother’s Day Makeover-Trip-for-2 Sweepstakes for a chance to win a 3-day, all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., for a VIP tour, makeover by celeb stylist Johnny Wright, and a feature in Heart & Soul magazine.


Mabel "Mama" Thomas, "What's Happening!!"
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Dee Thomas: Ooh, you're gonna get it!

Roger Thomas: Shut your face!

Mama: Don't you talk to your sister like that!

Dee Thomas: Yeah, don't you talk to your sister like that!

Mama: Shut your face!
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Mothers come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. As head of the household holding down the fort as a single parent, or attempting to keep the peace under a rowdier roof, here are some of ou...
Mothers come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. As head of the household holding down the fort as a single parent, or attempting to keep the peace under a rowdier roof, here are some of ou...
 
 
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10:55 PM on 05/11/2012
THE MOTHER-CHILD BOND OF LIFE
The other day, I attended a college graduation ceremony and observed something that verified something I already knew, but hadn’t actually thought about. Seated in front of me was a young mother, and next to her was her newborn baby. The infant was probably no more than two weeks old as it sat in the plastic car carrier oblivious to the world. What I observed was this mother’s constant and deliberate attention to this new person. Every few seconds she would look inside the carrier to see if everything was alright. The baby was sleep, yet the new mother kept watch much like a mother robin does with her newly hatched babies; and it occurred to me that there is a special bond between child and mother that is pure and natural. It cannot be duplicated. It cannot be replicated. Grandma doesn’t have it. Auntie doesn’t have it. And definitely Dad doesn’t have it. The woman at the graduation reminded me that the Spirit created the bond between mother and child to be like no other human connection on earth, and because of that, we are blessed more than we can ever comprehend.

SoulVisionTV.com
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Grevy Turty
01:53 PM on 05/11/2012
What about "That's my White Mama"?
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Grevy Turty
01:50 PM on 05/11/2012
All dead from diabetes and obesity. Great role models.
Dogmudgeon
Saepe in Errore, Nunquam in Dubito
03:19 AM on 05/12/2012
At least they weren't racist fuckwits.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Grevy Turty
10:58 PM on 05/22/2012
Actually most of them were quite anti-white. That is racism, sorry.
10:47 AM on 05/11/2012
Clair Huxtable!!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
George Cummings
Warning: Moderate. Future posts unpredictable
07:14 PM on 05/09/2012
MEDEA! Hands Down!
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morrisar
luv the earth & it will luv you!
04:23 PM on 05/09/2012
Florida get's my vote for #1
10:11 AM on 05/09/2012
Nikki Parker? Seriously?
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Adonijah
My micro-bio is trying to secure a Swiss Bank Acct
09:41 AM on 05/09/2012
Florida Evans & Wheezy were my favs.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
D.L. Williams
11:41 PM on 05/08/2012
Love the list, but Vivian 2 should have been included. Just saying.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
ButterFlyGirlFly
Free to Fly!
10:36 AM on 05/08/2012
All a "10" in my book, but "Julia" is at the top of the ten.
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PerryWhite
My micro-bio is still empty
09:35 AM on 05/08/2012
June Cleaver was nominated for best Indian television mother. It seems that she was 1/32 Indian. Notice the high cheekbones.

http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/gallery/101016/GAL-10Oct16-6079/media/PHO-10Oct16-260699.jpg
09:05 AM on 05/08/2012
Clair Huxtable is the ideal mother out of the whole lot. She was purposely kept last in this line up so we would all take the time to read through the rest. I feel like my husband compares my motherly and wifely "duties" to Mrs. Huxtable....Huge shoes to fill, but I'm making it work. I started recording The Cosby Show when I reached my 2nd trimester with my first son for parenting tips...the same thing my dad admitted he did while raising us! Thanks!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Holly H
08:42 AM on 05/08/2012
No.1 Flo Evans from Good Times...."Damn, Damn, Damn!!!"
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Adonijah
My micro-bio is trying to secure a Swiss Bank Acct
09:31 AM on 05/09/2012
LOL
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justsome
new york state of mind
10:48 AM on 05/09/2012
lol
08:31 AM on 05/08/2012
Who else started to panic when you kept clicking through the slide show and couldn't find Clair Huxtable?! LOL Found her! Whew...all is well now.