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How a Visit from the Black Panthers Influenced The Jeffersons

Season 7 Episode 713
Aired on 05/01/2016 | CC tv-14

In the groundbreaking show All in the Family, America was introduced to George Jefferson as Archie Bunker's next-door neighbor. The popularity of his character prompted Norman Lear to created a spin-off called the The Jeffersons. The television series became the first to feature an upwardly mobile African-American family, who had moved to a luxury apartment on Manhattan's upscale Upper East Side.

Before the Jefferson's moved on up, though, the Black Panthers, a militant African-American group, paid Norman a visit to complain about his portrayal of blacks, specifically citing the character of J.J. on Norman's show Good Times.

"The idea of movin' on up came out of that visit," Norman says.

In the above video, Norman reveals to Oprah how the Black Panthers helped the Jeffersons move in to that deluxe apartment in the sky.

Don't miss the new episode of Super Soul Sunday on Sunday, May 1, at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET/PT.