Was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. an Uncle Tom?

What do we call ourselves?

Was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr an Uncle Tom? This name calling is such a quagmire among African-Americans and a line in the sand for racialists. While attending college, some professors and even some students appeared to delight in challenging my self-identity by reminding me that other African-Americans called themselves the very same name that I found offensive when they the racialist uttered the N-word protected by the 1st amendment in the academic setting.

On another occasion, my self-identity on my patient’s chart brought on another uninvited, surprised but expected racialist’s explanation as to his choice of name calling of African-American. When visiting this doctor, he explained to me that he preferred the term Black and how much he hated the term African-American. The good doctor may have prefer the term Black that I believe erases the racial connotation to not only color but economical status. The naming of human beings whose ancestors experienced the inhumane bondage continues even to this day. By naming another human being other, whether it be slave, the N word , Mulatto, zambo, sambo, quadroon, octoroon,and even Uncle Tom. Naming of African-Americans was to deny them human qualities and human benefits. The labels erased who the individual really was and left the individual to take on the attributes of what it meant to be so named.

I am who I say I am, and my preference is the term African-American which elevate the conversation back to the historical robbing of Africans from Africa and the stripping of their African identity.

The United States’ history was America’s denial of human qualities among a group of human beings with the African bloodline. The name calling continues in order to erase who the individual really was, and the individual began to internalize the new name, to take on the attributes of the non-existence culture of identity determined only by those who created the new name.

If there is a negative quality to the name, all individuals so named will take on the stigma that comes with the name. We as African-Americans, have internalized the name-calling and uses the same devalued labeling as dehumanize others who we feel are less worthy among us.


Once labeled the internalizing of their station in life would began. If there was a negative quality to the name placed on African-Americans, all individuals so named would take on the stigma that came with the name. Even African-Americans,themselves, practice name-calling to devalue others considered not representative of African-Americans. This name labeling is one way African-Americans redefine the negative as a way of self-identity, but it blinds many to the historical meaning of the old labels.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. suggested that we forget about the labels and define each person. This would be difficult because one would be limited to only information based on each individual..the character of the person.

to be continued..