When most African Americans think of black men who fit the "Uncle Tom" description, names such as Clarence Thomas, Herman Cain, Alan Keyes and Alan West come to mind. We think of those black men who openly snark about the problems black people face in this country and who normally take their unique experiences and try to apply them to blacks as a whole. These are men who are accomplished and who have been "accepted" into traditionally white-only establishments. These men, undoubtedly many who have faced racism during countless times in their careers, were able to rise above the odds to find success and for that they should be applauded. However, they fail to see that their unique experiences certainly can't be applied to the millions of black men and women struggling for a piece of the economic pie in the U.S., many of whom face crushing discrimination and racism in every aspect of their lives.
However, there is a different type of Uncle Tom, one much more malevolent and corrupt, that will be the focus of this article. This is the black man that many blacks encounter at some point and time in their career who believes the only way to climb the ladder professionally is by compromising his morals and character to undercut his own people in an effort to appease the white man. These men are usually promoted. Their cut throat nature against their own kind is often appealing to their superiors. Especially when they work in a majority black environment or in an environment where the majority of subordinates are black. These are men that will do anything and stop at nothing to appease their overlords to get ahead. Even if that means setting up and crushing those blacks working under them.
It is often stated in the black community that Uncle Toms can't be trusted; from my own personal experience working in the corporate community, I have often found myself uneasy working around "Titled" blacks when they are surrounded by nothing but white management. It is has been my observation time and time again that many of these individuals understand clearly that they are just shills, or the so called "Token Negro" and they understand their place and role and what is expected of them. They are usually the people called on to terminate a black employee by their superiors when that employee has been meeting all of their objectives and the company simply wants to get rid of them. They are also usually the poster child who is usually held up before the court as the "standard" and not the "exception" when the company gets sued for discrimination. Certainly the company couldn't be racist when they have promoted a lone black person? No.. That just couldn't be the case.
I am always wary of these individuals because I have observed many times they have an unusually cut throat nature and they hold a special sense of vitriol and hatred towards their own community. I have even in my past experiences witnessed black men take up for overt racists within their own organizations if they feel it will garner them a promotion or place them in the "Favor" of higher ups.
People, especially white people, simply don't get it. They don't understand why blacks have a fear or a wariness of certain black people who seem to acclimate so quickly into white controlled organizations with clear and distinct white majorities. This wariness or uneasiness as I will put it has been passed down from generation to generation. It started from the House Slave who would run and tell the master or "massa" everything other slaves were communicating and doing in hopes of garnering the "massa's" favor. It has been passed down ever since.
White people don't understand that throughout our history in this country, there have always been blacks who have been unusually treacherous to their own kind to "Get Ahead" in society, whether that society operated in the 1800s or whether it is in operation today.
This is why blacks speak of the "Uncle Tom's" or the "Black Cyborgs" as I like to call them. These are usually the black men who are all over YouTube and other websites espousing the virtues of the "good white man". They usually have a white wife or girlfriend (including a strong affinity for white women.. ANY white woman) they can get their hands on and they typically end up marrying the first one that will give them the time of day.
These self loathing black men have internalized every negative experience they have ever had and for some reason believe it is the result of being black or associating with blacks, therefore, they start to hate their own kind and stop associating with their own kind. They begin the journey of becoming an "Uncle Tom". A black man who has taken hatred of one's self, and one's own people, as a means to personally capitalize and enrich himself within a racist white power structure.
All successful black men, as previously stated, are not cyborgs. They aren't Uncle Toms. There are some black men who have managed to hold on to their personal integrity and dignity while climbing the corporate ladder and they hold no personal hatred or vitriol against black subordinates. I have found that these black men will usually be employed in very ethical organizations. Principled organizations that operate in a forthright and incorruptible manner. However, one must be careful when they work for an organization, such as my previous employer, Wingspan Portfolio Advisors, where the management was largely corrupt, underhanded, ruthless and unethical. In an organization such as the one I just mentioned and many others who fit the bill, usually the "Titled Blacks" will exhibit many of these cutthroat and ruthless qualities that the organization exhibits. Their character will mirror the organization. I have always found this to be the case.
In situations where you are dealing with a Uncle Tom, aka "Black Cyborg" you must take caution. Avoid them if at all possible and by no means take comfort that a black face is in a position of authority and power there. These Uncle Toms are the most ruthless and lethal people in the organization. They provide a cover for the often illegal and discriminatory employment practices of the organization. Not only do these individuals provide a cover for discriminatory practices, they are also often used against black employees to unfairly terminate black employees. Cyborgs are not just found amongst African Americans but amongst every other minority group as well. They are just not as common amongst other races as they are amongst the black race. They are also often much more ruthless when they are black.
I have also noticed that Uncle Toms in ruthless white organizations are also much more cutthroat and much more malevolent than any Klansman you will ever meet on a dark road in the middle of the night in backwoods Texas or Alabama or Mississippi. These guys are downright evil. They HATE their own kind and they will cut throat without mercy in a way the white man, regardless of his racism, never will because the white man will be to afraid of being sued for racism. Whereas the black Uncle Tom, the black cyborg won't care.
I have worked for and under the supervision of black cyborgs. And I have seen them often run many employees away or harass and threaten black employees to the point they quit or give up to be terminated. I have found these black cyborgs, aka, Uncle Toms, especially ruthless in the Southern states. If you watch them closely with white employees you will find their demeanor and behavior dramatically altered. They become conciliatory. Much more understanding and more of a partner than a tyrant, which is how they supervise the black employees.
To those who will happen upon this article and who will claim that blacks refer to all successful black men as Uncle Toms I refer you to the overwhelming black support of President Barack Obama. President Obama has a tremendous amount of respect within the black community because he has never run away from his own people. He married a black woman from the Southside of Chicago. President Obama, a Harvard graduate, who could have had his pick of many jobs on white washed Wall Street, chose to work in one of the roughest areas of Chicago. He worships with his own people. He CONNECTS with black culture in a way that many black men of his stature have chosen not to.
During President Obama's tenure, he has promoted many minorities, Black, Hispanic, Asian and female alike, to positions of power. There are now minorities in positions that were never afforded to minorities under the white power structure and leaders that preceded him. He has NEVER shied away from his own.
I consider Will Smith, the actor, to be the opposite of an Uncle Tom. He has never shied away from being around his own people. Marrying amongst his own people. Worshiping amongst his own people.
I consider Deval Patrick, the Governor of Massachusetts, the exact opposite of an Uncle Tom. He married a racial minority. He has been an outspoken critic of white supremacy and unfair and oppressive racial tactics of the far right. And let's face it, the man is one hell of a speaker. He doesn't hold back.
Now I am a little biased since I have always lived in the South and have unfortunately been surrounded by self loathing, Southern born and bred, black men. These men I have found to be unusually ruthless as I stated. Especially those found in Texas whom I consider to be Lost Sheep. Many run away from their race. They hate who they are.
I have always been fascinated at those black men educated and raised in the North. They seem to have a flair. An assertiveness and a power behind them. I guess this is why many of the great movements in this country have been started by those living in the North. It's where our great Universities are. Our most liberal minds. Where all of our major intellects hail from. It is also where much more opportunity is afforded to those with black and brown skin.
I love the power that comes from many blacks and other minorities born and raised, or otherwise educated, in the Northern U.S.; the "LOVE FOR SELF" they exhibit that those minorities born and raised in the South seem to lack. Southern black men engage in self hate. They hate being black. Northern black men love who God made them to be and they take their blackness and they learn to SHINE.
But I digress... I guess by now you understand that I have found Southern blacks, and in respect to this article, Southern black men, to be self loathers. This belief they have exhibits itself in who they marry, where they choose to live once they become successful, and how they treat their own kind once they come into power. Nothing and No one is more dangerous than a Southern raised black man who hates himself and his people, especially if he has managed to use this "self hate" to progress in a corporation that has exhibited a strong intolerance for minorities, and that only uses him as a cover for their bigoted actions against people of color. These are the men the racist and corrupt white power structure in the South love to promote. They are the go to men because again they act as shields for the discriminatory and racist employment practices of the organizations they work for.
Disclaimer: This blog contains the opinions of the blogger and other third party contributors. These views are based on our observations, experiences and personal beliefs/opinions. Thank you for reading.
