Is "Uncle Tom" a Racist Term?

[Willamena]

Actually, in the book, "Uncle Tom's Cabin", Uncle Tom is a pretty noble character. The movie re-cast him as a sellout, and that's from where the derogatory term comes.

I stand corrected.

 

[ChristineES]

There was a book back in the 19th century with that book title (written by Harriet Beecher Stowe). According to my American History class in college, the book brought people to attention to slavery to people who didn't know about it before (in the Northern states, they didn't have it). I suppose,back in those days, older, African Americans were called "Uncle", for some reason. Nowadays, the term is used for someone "acting white", I think.

Is it a racist term? I have no idea, it does, however, seem like one.

 

[Alceste]

I'm curious about this. Would it be racist to call someone an "Uncle Tom"?

If so, what makes it racist?

If not, why is it not racist?

If you believe it is generally racist to call someone an "Uncle Tom", do you also believe there circumstances under which it would not be racist for someone to call someone else an "Uncle Tom"?

EDIT: Uncle Tom is a term sometimes used to denote a Black man who will do anything to stay in good terms with "the White man", including betray other Blacks. See the Urban Dictionary entry here.

This is the first I've heard of the term, but I don't think "racist" captures what is offensive about it. Basically, it's an ad hominem term. Not persuasive to reasonable people, highly likely to cause offense and a communication breakdown, but not exactly "racist".

Not everything that provokes racial tension is inherently racist. Some of it is just nonsense.

 

[Sunstone]

Actually, I'm having a hard time seeing it as racist. I can see how it's a confusing term since it invokes race. But not everything that invokes race is necessarily racist.

 

[Revoltingest]

So far, it seems there's an emerging consensus among some that it's not racist to refer to black folk with a term meeting the following criteria:
1) The term is racially specific, ie, black men.
2) The term serves to denigrate, insult, demonize &/or dismiss.
3) The term is believed by those approving its use as an accurate criticism, ie, that the man in question is subservient to whites, not behaving as is expected, & is not his own man.

Does this open the door to using other terms which meet these same criteria to refer to black folk?
Do the accusations that Obama's fiercest critics are racist ring hollow under this emerging standard?
Are there any terms which are racist at all?
How do they differ from the subject term?

 

[Alceste]

Actually, I'm having a hard time seeing it as racist. I can see how it's a confusing term since it invokes race. But not everything that invokes race is necessarily racist.

Yep. You're pretty smart, Sunstone. Let's not suppose that anyone else is as smart as we are.

 

[Huey09]

Actually, I'm having a hard time seeing it as racist. I can see how it's a confusing term since it invokes race. But not everything that invokes race is necessarily racist.

As a black guy I'll say its not racist( to me and many black people I know) but quite a shunning term. Uncle Tom's are basically as said House ****** and especially in most of the black community the perception of pandering to the majority white population while putting your own kind down is viewed with great disgust and subtle pity.

 

[Alceste]

As a black guy I'll say its not racist( to me and many black people I know) but quite a shunning term. Uncle Tom's are basically as said House ****** and especially in most of the black community the perception of pandering to the majority white population while putting your own kind down is viewed with great disgust and subtle pity.

That makes sense.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

As a black guy I'll say its not racist( to me and many black people I know) but quite a shunning term. Uncle Tom's are basically as said House ****** and especially in most of the black community the perception of pandering to the majority white population while putting your own kind down is viewed with great disgust and subtle pity.

I still don't think white people should use the term.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

As a black guy I'll say its not racist( to me and many black people I know) but quite a shunning term. Uncle Tom's are basically as said House ****** and especially in most of the black community the perception of pandering to the majority white population while putting your own kind down is viewed with great disgust and subtle pity.

Indeed. That's what I said, too, basically.

 

[Revoltingest]

I still don't think white people should use the term.

If it's not racist, then why shouldn't white folk use it too?
If it's synonymous with "house ****er", then is it fine to use too?

 

[Revoltingest]

As a black guy I'll say its not racist( to me and many black people I know) but quite a shunning term. Uncle Tom's are basically as said House ****** and especially in most of the black community the perception of pandering to the majority white population while putting your own kind down is viewed with great disgust and subtle pity.

What if Thomas weren't pandering, & actually believed he was doing the right thing?
If the intent is to dismiss him for acting contrary to how some say a black man should
act, then this would appear to fit the definition of racism quite accurately.
Consider:
- A white judge could hold the same opinions, but not be an "Uncle Tom".
- But a black judge holding these opinions is subject to a racially specific insult.
- Without making a case that his beliefs are insincere, he is prejudged to be pandering to whites.

So we have prejudice, race, & dehuminizing. This is not racism?
Well, that just doesn't ring true, so what else is going on?
There are additional factors:
- The accuser & the subject are both black.
- The accuser is a Democrat, & the subject is conservative (nominated & confirmed by Pubs).
Could it be that a blind eye is cast when racism would embarrass the left side of the aisle?

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

If it's not racist, then why shouldn't white folk use it too?
If it's synonymous with "house ****er", then is it fine to use too?

I can think of lots of other groups that have the equivalent of the "Uncle Tom" stereotype in them. There's gay and lesbian Uncle Toms, transsexual Uncle Toms, poor Uncle Toms, etc. Pretty much every disenfranchised and oppressed minority has that type of person in it.

 

[Revoltingest]

I can think of lots of other groups that have the equivalent of the "Uncle Tom" stereotype in them. There's gay and lesbian Uncle Toms, transsexual Uncle Toms, poor Uncle Toms, etc. Pretty much every disenfranchised and oppressed minority has that type of person in it.

That other groups have adopted the term does not remove the history & primary racial focus of the term.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

That other groups have adopted the term does not remove the history & primary racial focus of the term.

I'm not saying they've adopted that specific term, but that the same thing exists in other groups. I think I've used it a few times, myself.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

What if Thomas weren't pandering, & actually believed he was doing the right thing?
If the intent is to dismiss him for acting contrary to how some say a black man should
act, then this would appear to fit the definition of racism quite accurately.
Consider:
- A white judge could hold the same opinions, but not be an "Uncle Tom".
- But a black judge holding these opinions is subject to a racially specific insult.
- Without making a case that his beliefs are insincere, he is prejudged to be pandering to whites.

So we have prejudice, race, & dehuminizing. This is not racism?
Well, that just doesn't ring true, so what else is going on?
There are additional factors:
- The accuser & the subject are both black.
- The accuser is a Democrat, & the subject is conservative (nominated & confirmed by Pubs).
Could it be that a blind eye is cast when racism would embarrass the left side of the aisle?

So do think it is racist when a liberal calls an African-American conservative an "Uncle Tom"?

 

[Revoltingest]

So do think it is racist when a liberal calls a African-American conservative an "Uncle Tom"?

Yes. And it would still be the case if your replaced "liberal" with "conservative" & vice versa.

 

[Revoltingest]

I'm not saying they've adopted that specific term, but that the same thing exists in other groups. I think I've used it a few times, myself.

I don't know how to address that, except to say that it's a bad idea to insult someone with the
intent to denigrate not just what they believe, but also who they are, eg, race, gender, religion.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

Yes. And it would still be the case if your replaced "liberal" with "conservative" & vice versa.

We see that epithet leveled at African American conservatives all the time and somehow it is deemed acceptable as if we are to believe African Americans are only suppose to think one way and have only one sort of politic.

I think it is racist to believe that PoC's are to have one way of looking at the world and are not supposed to have diverse views. There is such a thing as liberal racism.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I don't know how to address that, except to say that it's a bad idea to insult someone with the
intent to denigrate not just what they believe, but also who they are, eg, race, gender, religion.

Yeah...that's not how it's understood, at least by me, as my first post in this thread makes clear.