He made a lot of people laugh with "Whatchu talkin' bout?!" and certainly opened society's eyes to a white family adopting non-white children. I remember that was a very controversial thing at the time.
The term African-American hadn't become part of the vernacular back then.
Perhaps it paved the way in some form to my wife and I adopting our kids - older sister, younger brother, also African-American.
Can you imagine this:
<Pearly Gates, entrance to Heaven>
"Welcome to heaven, Mr. Coleman."
"Whatchu talkin' bout, Peter?!"
Thanks for the laughs Gary, RIP.