The Harvard Black Men’s Forum (BMF) will honor actress Phylicia Rashad—best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on “The Cosby Show”—with a “Woman of the Year Award” in their Ninth Annual Celebration of Black Women Friday.

With her witty retorts and eagle eye on her husband’s eating habits, Rashad became a presence in households nationwide in the 1980s as the career-oriented wife of Cliff Huxtable (played by Bill Cosby) on “The Cosby Show.”

BMF board member Jason W. Young ’04 said Rashad’s portrayal of Clair Huxtable helped counteract many stereotypes about black women, making her a prime choice for this year’s celebration, “Redefining the Face of Excellence.”

“The greatest thing about Ms. Rashad as Mrs. Huxtable was that she was able to balance her career as a successful lawyer with her tremendous ability to raise positive, interesting children,” wrote BMF board member Brandon M. Terry ’05 in an e-mail. “Honoring her is both a tribute to the institution of motherhood, while also a celebration of the strong, independent black woman who struggles to make her mark in fields formerly closed off to her because of her race and gender.”

BMF President Alonzo Sherman ’03 said it was not difficult getting Rashad to come to the event because she was eager to support their cause of honoring black women and their struggles.

Rashad also acted alongside Bill Cosby in the CBS sitcom “Cosby” and has appeared in a number of films and on- and off-Broadway productions.

Each year, the BMF presents the “Woman of The Year” award to an exemplary woman of color. Past honorees include Gwendolyn Brooks, Jessica Care Moore, Faye Wattleton and Professor Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham.

The BMF will also present awards to a number of graduating Harvard women and The Face of Excellence Scholarship to a college-bound high school senior.

The celebration will begin Friday with a reception at 7 p.m. and will be followed by dinner and the awards ceremony starting at 8 p.m.