An Open Letter to Clair Huxtable

Dear Mrs. Huxtable,

You are the most amazing fictional character ever.

Thanks for providing little black girls like me an excellent model of what it means to be a “modern woman.” You are so uncompromisingly intelligent, and most importantly, I never get the sense that you feel guilty about being ambitious and smart.  I remember an episode when you came home and talked about the amazing job you’d done at work that day, and it was so lovely to hear you unabashedly acknowledge how awesome you are, with no hesitation and no false modesty. Not only are you a good lawyer, you are also apparently fluent in Portuguese and Spanish. I don’t know what kind of law you practice, but I’d like to think that you would have made a way better Supreme Court Justice than Clarence Thomas (but I understand that your filming schedule probably got in the way).

Even though I remain a little grossed out by how much you and Dr. Huxtable apparently get it on, I do love that you guys have such a great marriage. You make the whole idea of an egalitarian marriage seem so easy and natural (when it is anything but). And you have tons of fun together! You go to jazz concerts and dance all the time, aaaaand spend like 90% of your marriage laughing. Props to you for knowing how pick ’em!

I hate to add this, because I shouldn’t have to say it just to make you seem more delicate and less threatening, but you are a great mom. You treat your kids like actual human beings who have opinions that are worthy of respect, and you push them to justify their beliefs or actions when you disagree.  And you know how to give a really scary “Oh no you didn’t” eye when your kids (mostly Theo) say something ridiculous. That alone makes you a winner in my book.

But mostly, I love you for this moment:

Thanks again