HOW THE REAL UNCLE TOM BECAME A LIE

Even at my age, I still have a lot to learn.  A friend and I were talking about the Voting Rights Act decision, and I used the words "Uncle Tom" to describe a member of the Supreme Court.  She quickly scolded me, and told me the real story about Harriett Beecher Stowe's main character in "Uncle Tom's Cabin".

 

 

The original Uncle Tom was not spineless or a sellout.  "The original Uncle Tom  was physically strong and morally courageous, an inspiration for blacks and other oppressed people worldwide. In other words, Uncle Tom was anything but an “Uncle Tom.” **

 

 

 

Read David S. Reynold's fascinating article "Rescuing the Real Uncle Tom"

**Rescuing the Real Uncle Tom, by David S. Reynolds, June 13, 2011