What does it mean to be an “Uncle Tom”? This is a phrase which has been around for many years and has no shortage of contoversy attached to it. Many consider it to be almost as severe as the “N-word” when used in speaking of a black person. Here are some of the various implications meant when this term is used to describe someone else in this day and age:
- Urbandictionary.com says: “Uncle Tom is a term used by black people to try to convince other black people that working, education, living well, and setting a good example for their children is selling out.”
- Wikipedia says: “The phrase “Uncle Tom” has also become an epithet for a person who is slavish and excessively subservient to perceived authority figures, particularly ablack person who behaves in a subservient manner to white people; or any person perceived to be a participant in the oppression of their own group”
- Webster’s dictionary says: “a black who is overeager to win the approval of whites (as by obsequious behavior or uncritical acceptance of white values and goals)”
- Al Sharpton says: “An Uncle Tom is one that in a deliberate way, seeks personal favor or acceptance at the expense of his race and at the expense of what he or she knows to be right.”
But who was the real Uncle Tom? Tom was the main charactor in the classic novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” By Harriet Beecher Stowe, published in 1852. Stowe was an abolishonist who was moved into action by the pre-civil war atrocities of slavory which she both witnessed, as well as heard about from others. Stowe wrote the novel for the purpose of trying to expose the evils of slavery to a public who was either apathetic or ignorant to the slaves’ plight.
So who was “Uncle Tom” as Stowe presents him? He was a man who was born in Kentucky, and grew up on the plantation of a very kind master. On the Shelby Plantation, Tom, his wife, their children, and all of the other slaves had a very good life compared to most slaves of their time. They all were like family to the Shelbys, who were Christians, and taught every member of their household (both slave and free) about their Savior, Jesus Christ.
However, the Shelbys got in debt and had to sell two of the slaves in order to save the whole plantation. Tom was one of the slaves who had to get sold. Tom was a pious, God-fearing man of the highest integrity, and for this, he fetched a good price.
The trader took Tom along with the rest of the slaves downriver to sell them in New Orleans. It was on this river boat that Tom’s own eyes began to be opened to some of the realities of slavery. Infants ripped from the arms of their mothers and wives seperated from there husband were just a few of the many atrocities which Tom witnessed. Even through all of this, Tom prayed that Haley, the brutal slave trader would come to know Christ as his Savior.
One day A man by the name of Augustine St. Clare with his 5 year old little girl named Eva boarded the vessel. Eva took a liking to Tom and convinced her father to buy him, and off they went to their New Orleans plantation. St. Clare, although not a Christian, was a kind man, who treated his slaves with the utmost dignity. In fact, they were all like family to him. Everyone around town knew that all of the slaves on the St. Clare plantation were spoiled rotton. Augustine’s wife Maria was quite the opposite of her husband. She was a hypochondriac who cared for absolutly nobody but herself.
After a year or two at the St. Clare plantation, After the death of little Eva, Augustine promised Tom his freedom. Upon hearing this Tom told St. Clare that he would stay as long as St. Clare needed him. When St. Clare asked him when that would be, Tom Replied that he would stay until St. Clare became a Christian! What an incredible man of God!
Well, just a few days later, while breaking up a bar fight, Augustine St. Clare was fatally stabbed. Augustine was brough back to his house where he lay dying. Before he slipped into eternity, Tom had the Privilege of leading him to Christ. Sadly, upon the death of Augustine St. Clair, his heartless, self absorbed wife Maria, sold Tom as well as several other of the slaves.
Down at the auction house Tom was purchaced by a man by the name of Simon Legree. Legree was a vile wicked man who had no regard whatsoever for the lives of his slaves. Two of Legree’s slaves, Sambo and Quimbo, Legree had made to be overseers of the others. These two were almost as vicious as their master and they took pleasure in whipping their fellow slaves into submission.
Legree had purchaced Tom with the intent to make another overseer out of him. When Lagree told Tom to whip another slave who had not gathered the minimum quota of what Legree had set for the day, Tom refused to do so. When Lagree heard this he angrally hissed at Tom “Boy! do you know I own you, body and soul?!?” to this Tom replied: “No! no! no! my soul aint yours mas’r, you haven’t bought it! you can’t buy it! It’s been bought and paid for by the one who is able to keep it! no matter, no matter, you can’t harm me!”
To this, Legree set Sambo and Quimbo to beating Tom so savagely that he didn’t get over it for several weeks. Such events were quite common place at the Legree plantation.
One day two slaves ran away from the plantation. Legree was convinced that Tom knew something about it. Upon asking him. Tom told Legree that he knew, but he could not tell him where they were. To this, Legree set Sambo and Quimbo to whipping Tom to death if he did not devulge the desired information. After savagly beating almost all of the life out of Tom, he barely opened his eyes, looked at Legree and said: “You poor miserable creature! there aint no more i can do for you. I for give you! with all my soul I forgive you!” and then he fainted. Legree, believeing that Tom was dead, left the room
Upon Legree’s leaving, Tom opened his eyes yet again. Sambo and Quimbo, touched to the core of their souls by Tom’s patience, faith and lack of hatred, ernestly entreated Tom to forgive them. Tom replied faintly “I forgive you with all my heart!” They then asked Tom to tell them more about the Jesus who he was always talking about. Sam then proceeded to lead these two men to a saving knowledge of Chist in the last few days of his life.
So now that you have met the actual man behind the slur, you must ask, is Tom really a sellout to his race simply because he did not harbor hatred to the ones who oppressed him? NO! if anyone is a sellout, it’s Sambo and Quimbo. Tom on the other hand, is by far the most God-fearing man of the story. Take a look at 1 Peter 2:21-23
“For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;”
The example left by Christ is one which Tom followed unto his death. Just like Christ, when Tom was reviled, he did not revile in return. When Tom also never uttered threats against any of the evil men who wronged him. Tom entrusted himself to the only one who judges righteously.
Philippians 2:3-4 says: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”
Tom regarded St. Clare’s spiritual freedom, his slavation more important that his own physical freedom. Tom is an absolutly incredible example of Christ likeness. When I read about him I feel like a spiritual dwarf…Tom is the type of man we should all strive to be like...this is why I want to be an “Uncle Tom”.
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