I know Norman Lear was behind both shows, but did NBC want their own version of 'All in the Family?' So as not to totally be a carbon copy of the CBS hit, they made the cast black?

http://people.uncw.edu/rohlerl/rohler/Sanford%20and%20Son_files/image007.jpg

Sanford and Son was based on the British Series Steptoe and Son not on All In The Family.

I don't think AITF and Sanford and Son resemble each other at all except for the fact that the 2 lead characters are racists.