Uncle Tom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Uncle Tom is a pejorative for an African American who is perceived by others as behaving in a subservient manner to White American authority figures, or as seeking ingratiation with them by way of unnecessary accommodation. The term Uncle Tom comes from the title character of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, although there is debate over whether the character himself is deserving of the pejorative attributed to him.[1]
It is commonly used to describe black people whose political views or allegiances are considered by their critics as detrimental to blacks as a group.
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[edit] Other terms with the same meaning
A more offensive term with the same meaning is house nigger (as contrasted with field workers from the days of slavery). In 2002, actor/singer Harry Belafonte used a variation of the term, White House nigger, to characterize former Secretary of State Colin Powell and former National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice.[2]
Native Americans in the United States sometimes will use the term Uncle Tomahawk.
Similarly, Mexicans in the US may be referred to as "tio taco" or "tia taco" (from tio / tia, Spanish for uncle / aunt).
A similar term for black people is Oreo, implying that one is black on the outside but white on the inside. This also applies to the term 'coconut'.
Sometimes, women who tom are called Aunt Jemima after the popular pancake mix that long depicted a kerchief-headed family cook of that name. These terms are considered racist and offensive.
[edit] Notable controversial users
In the 2007 Philadelphia mayor's race, Democratic hopeful Milton Street called fellow candidate Michael A. Nutter a "Watermelon Man" after a 1970 movie where a white man becomes black.[3]
During a 1995 game featuring Derrick Coleman's New Jersey Nets and rival Karl Malone's Utah Jazz, Coleman called Malone an Uncle Tom. [4] [5]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ A New Look at 'Uncle Tom's Cabin', The Tavis Smiley Show, November 29, 2002.
- ^ Ronald Radosh. "Harry's Hatreds", New York Post, 2002-10-24. Retrieved on January 6, 2007.
- ^ Mark McDonald. "Milt (yep, that Milt) eyes mayoral tilt", Philadelphia Daily News, 2007-02-16. Retrieved on February 16, 2007.
- ^ http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1:16820800/New+Jersey+Nets+forward+Derrick+Coleman+calls+Utah+Jazzs+forwards+Karl+Malone+an+Uncle+Tom.html?refid=SEO
- ^ http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F6061EF7355B0C748DDDAA0894DD494D81&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fM%2fMalone%2c%20Karl
- (1969) in Osofsky, Gilbert: Puttin' On Ole Massa: The Slave Narratives of Henry Bibb, William Wells Brown, and Solomon Northup. Harper & Row. ASIN B0006BZ59E.
