Vivian Banks: Highly Educated
Vivian Banks is the beloved mother of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She was played by two different women over the course of the show, first Janet Hubert and later Daphne Maxwell Reid. Vivian has taken her nephew and main character, Will, into her home in order to keep him from getting in trouble back in Philadelphia. In addition to being a guiding force for Will, she also guides her own kids Carlton and Ashley. Although she is not often seen working on the show, it is proclaimed that she has retired from her career as a doctor and is also said to be studying for another Ph.D. Later, she shows up as a substitute teacher at the kids’ school, the ritzy Bel Air Academy. Like The Cosby Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was groundbreaking in many ways, including a strong portrayal of an extremely successful African American mom.
