Understanding Uncle Tom

Black History Month – February 14, 2019

What is “unctuous sycophancy?” Well lets break it down.

unctuous – (of a person) excessively or ingratiatingly flattering; oily. sycophancy – behavior toward someone important in order to gain advantage.

No, don’t give me any credit. I did not even know what it meant when I first read it. I had an idea in the context that it was used, that somebody was gonna throw hands, but I wasn’t sure. In a book by August Meier titled, “Negro Thought in America, 1880-1915: Racial Ideologies in the Age of Booker T. Washington,” Meier attributed that attitude to Washington against another giant in black history, Professor William Hooper Councill, the founder and first president of Huntsville Normal School, today know as Alabama A&M University. Notice I said “attitude,” Washington’s exact words were allegedly, “simply toadying to White people.” Personally I would rather be simply toadying than an actual “unctuous sycophant.” It just sounds nasty.

Anywho, after looking up the meaning, the first thing that came to mind was Washington was allegedly calling Councill an “Uncle Tom.” Although I give props to Professor Meier, its one thing to investigate black history, but its a different thing to be black and investigate black history. Facts are facts, but its not alway’s, “His Story,” for those that feel me. Speaking of stories, I want to bring up an often misunderstood one in the black community. I want to talk about ” Uncle Toms Cabin.” That’s right!! We gonna talk about that shoe shining, butt kissing, unctuous sycophant… Uncle “Stab You In The Back or Front” Tom. Yes sir.. he’s a mean one… Mr Grinch… He really is a heel, He’s as cuddly as a cactus, He’s as charming as an eel, Mr. Grinch
You’re a bad banana with a greasy black peel…

I love that song…

Anywho, lets get our focus back. For that we are going to have to go to Harriet Beecher Stowe. Stowe, a Connecticut-born teacher at the Hartford Female Seminary and an active abolitionist, featured the character of Uncle Tom, a long-suffering black slave around whom the stories of other characters revolve. The sentimental novel depicts the reality of slavery while also asserting that Christian love can overcome something as destructive as enslavement of fellow human being. You were a dreamer Harriet. I am a black man born 150 years after you.. it never happened, but what you did and wrote will stay with us forever.

As I said before, a lot of us grew up knowing what an Uncle Tom was. He was the house ni*ger, or the ni*ger trying to get into the house. I always visualized him as having a broad nose with a toothy grin and he always speaks out the side of his mouth. He always been a “him.” I guess that’s because of Harriet. But one thing is for sure.. he is no good. He has never been any good and that shit just ain’t in his heart. He is here to torment other black people for his personal gain. The black flag to us all. The only thing better than the white man’s praise is heaven and he can’t get there unless the “massa” say’s so. That’s Uncle Tom.

If you agree with that and you personally know some Uncle Tom’s… you don’t… and you haven’t read Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

You see Uncle Tom was the black hero in Harriet’s book. Because he refused to tell Simon Legree, his slave master, where the escaped slave had gone, Legree had Uncle Tom killed. Uncle Tom was beaten to death by two other slaves named Sambo and Quimbo. As Tom lay dying, he forgives Sambo and Quimbo. They repent over what they had done to Tom and accept christianity. Although Tom is the hero of Harriet’s book, the stereotypes of blacks in Uncle Tom’s Cabin are present, the “happy darky,” the light-skinned sex object, the affectionate dark-skinned female mammy, and the pickaninny’s, stereotypes of black children. She “was” a woman of her time period. The book written in 1852, sold north of 130 million copies worldwide. Many have said it started the Civil War. I guess that’s because when Lincoln first met Harriet, he said, “So this is the little lady who started this great war.” True story…

After the war, the role of Uncle Tom gradually changed. Minstrel shows began showing Tom as a weak minded unctuous sycophant, a legacy that stay’s with some of us to this day. Harriet Beecher Stowe died July 1, 1896. Uncle Tom will live with us forever.

You can read Uncle Tom’s Cabin for free online at the Project Gutenberg EBook .

 

“Unctuous sycophancy,”