In short terms, Uncle Tom is labeled to persons, similar to snitch or betrayer, whose motive is driven by acceptance that doing slavery was just how the (antebellum) Southern society worked, whether the acceptance is spontaneous or coerced. George Washington Carver, Arthur Ash, Michael Jackson, are proof of this. In the past, some Black people used Uncle Tom to refer to a Black man when they disapproved of him because he was too respectful or friendly towards White people. I have always seen/heard Uncle Tom used by blacks as an insult to other blacks who they think are acting too much like "white" men, in other words, they are trying to be successful by playing the game of life like a white man. exciting challenge of being a wiseGEEK researcher and writer. I'm here because of the movie *8 Mile when "B-Rabbit" calls his friend "Future" an Uncle Tom. disapproving : a black person who is eager to win the approval of white people and willing to cooperate with them. Uncle Tom's Cabin. Usually, this term is used as an insult. Within the community, the use of "Uncle Tom" as an epithet varies considerably, reflecting the diversity of African American culture and language in the United States. Accessed 27 Apr. n. # offensive , person. Just like the "n" word, black people continue to hold themselves back from advancement by putting each other down. As a general rule, this term is viewed as very offensive, and it is primarily used within the African American community. Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way. Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe.Published in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U.S. and is said to have "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War". It is true that the phrase “Uncle Tom” came to be a derogatory term in the south after Stowe’s book was published, but in the north being an “Uncle Tom” was a compliment on their character and what the abolitionists and blacks aspired to be. 2021. The origins of this slang term lie in an 1852 anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Uncle tom. Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). The term appears to have entered common usage in the 1960s and 1970s, when the growing civil rights movement led many African Americans to stand up for their rights assertively. Study Help. Because you are an Uncle Tom! please confirm. Uncle Tom was a hero, and the book helped to pave the way for the rights and freedom we have today. Learn a new word every day. n. uncle tommy. English Language Learners Definition of Uncle Tom. Acts of civil disobedience, such as sitting at “whites only” lunch counters, were committed with the goal of bringing civil rights to the forefront and promoting equality, and many of these measures were successful. I 've been told by other blacks that if they are successful in any case dealing with non black persons. "Uncle Tom" is a pejorative epithet derived from the lead character in abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin.Uncle Tom was a slave whose innate goodness and genuine kindness, despite being subjected to the brutalities of slavery, made him a sympathetic figure for many white audiences who had never before identified with a black character. Delivered to your inbox! But this term has been traditionally associated with and used by white racists (specifically by racist slave owners) to shame and dishonor African slaves. Tom, pious and faithful black slave in Uncle Tom 's Cabin, written by Harriet Stowe. 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