Uncle Tom

About Uncle Tom

Uncle Tom is a pejorative for a black person 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.

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.

A more offensive term with the same meaning is "house nigger" and its euphemism "house slave." The term contrasts field workers from the days of slavery with those who worked in the master's home, who historically received preferential treatment. In 2002, actor/singer Harry Belafonte used a variation of the term, White House nigger, to characterize certain political figures.