Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration

Thursday, January 11, 11:00 – 1:00 p.m. Ivy Tech Community College
MLK Celebration – Keynote Speaker, Hana Stith, Curator, African/African American Historical Museum.

Was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr...Day 4

Was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. an Uncle Tom? Uncle Tom’s name in the same breathe as Dr. King’s, Jr., who is considered by many as the all time martyr of civil rights, would more than likely bring on looks of disdain from those hearing the question. Just to utter the name as a description of the historical figure who is the ultimate representative of the American-American community is an insult.

But recognizing that fact, leaves me trying to understand as to why one seldom bats an eye upon hearing the dreaded N…word that is so loosely used in the hood. The first word represents an African-American who is a sale out. The other word represents a certain status of an African-American. Both terms, are haunting reminders of the legacy of slavery. Both terms are negative labeling placed up on those who are found among the diverse African-American community. Especially when we profess to understand the struggles of our ancestors. Because it is so easy to do, unconsciously.

So, why am I labeling Dr. King, Jr. a "Tom"? Answer, because it is so easy to do. Was Dr. King a sale out? I didn’t think so. Was he an Uncle Tom? An Uncle Tom seeking to expose the powerbrokers for what they were, self-serving manipulating racialists? Yes. Dr. King, like Beecham’s Uncle Tom, understood the master’s cruel and brutal ways. Dr. King, Jr. nonviolent approach was a tactic used to expose the racialist for what he or she including the do-good racialists truly felt in their hearts.

Beecham’s Uncle Tom master‘s whip was the symbolic tool used to show the cruelty of man desire to bring another man into submission more so than God himself. As long as Tom was doing the whipping the master could say stop. But if the master had the whip, there was no legal tool in place to prevent the master from whipping those who were enslaved to death. So Uncle Tom saved lives by being Uncle Tom.

I am simply saying that Uncle Tom was not a sale out. Tom was the alternative to an inhumane master who would kill an enslaved just as quick as a mad dog. Tom understood his role was to challenge the master beliefs about the enslaved, which in turn enabled Tom to save lives. Dr. King, may indeed be labeled an Uncle Tom, as he gave his life challenging the belief that he too like Uncle Tom was more than a mere boy but a man with rights guaranteed and protected under the Constitution. Dr. King, Jr. challenged the racialists hearts and ultimately gave his life in demanding that the nation take notice that all of America's Americans were still not free.


Many will not celebrate his holiday, because they do not believe in judging a person by their character. Many. Dr. King, Jr. will be called names..but Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was simply Dr. Martin Luther, King, Jr. King,Jr. only asked that we be the best that we could be...and a simply thing like watching what we call each other could be a starting point.

Was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr...Day3

Defining ourselves. It is how we define ourselves. It is how well we maintain our humanness as we battle the reflection of self-hatred that is meant for our internalization. If we internalize we begin to emulate the model of self-hatred distributed by raced white and African-American leadership. We begin name calling instead of holding such leadership accountable.

Some African-American leaders fail to keep their eyes on the prize of improving the community for the masses. There should be no blaming of the victims by such leaders. Instead, a recognition of the long legal discriminatory of the African-Americans that calls for a result-driven leadership. Without such leaders a disconnect remains for those African-Americans who are attempting to define and meet its' community needs. Our leaders, who support self-hatred must be held accountable when they fail to address the community specific needs. These leaders who seek the messiah-like title of leadrship (without questions) are not representative of the masses interest but self-interest.

Instead of honoring Dr. King, Jr. as an individual, we compare him to other African-Americans leaders who fail to represent the masses. Judging Dr. King, Jr. by his color and not as his own drum major. Dr. King, Jr. defined his identity as a leader among oppressed people. Not just African-Americans, but others counting about others raced white women. But Dr. King, Jr. is remembered as an African-American hero, so much for our color blind society.

So is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. an Uncle Tom?
to be continued

Was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr ..Day 2

Character. For example within the African-American community, the term Uncle Tom is bantered about as a negative term. Uncle Tom was born into slavery therefore he was considered less than human, but instead of just being called the N-word, Tom was given a male title. Uncle elevated Tom beyond the childlike name of boy to a trusted male rite of passage into manhood. This was a limited manhood mind you, but Uncle Tom could be trusted but lacked a last name.

So, to get beyond the stereotype of Uncle Tom, as negative, one must look to the positive traits of the human being as Uncle Tom during slavery, instead of internalizing the negative portrayal of an Uncle Tom. For example, Dr. King, Jr. as an Uncle Tom would be based upon the positive charactistics of Uncle Tom as the human being rather than his status as a slave, A slave symbolizes one lacking the qualities of a human being. Instead of internalizing the labeling it is better to identify with the traits, trust, the self-sacrificing and the uplifting of others.

Dr. King, Jr. did this with his life for others to move into a place beyond segregation which included the right to vote and economical power. The negative connotations of manhood was created to separate the wheat from the shaft and a way of creating division about us as to who is more worthy among us as African-Americans.

Uncle Tom was deemed more worthy among those who engaged in slavery. Uncle Tom was elevated to humanness based simply on the fact that those who dealt in slavery, were able to see his human characteristics, Tom's honesty and trustworthy, something not seen in a simple slave. Uncle Tom was an extra ordinary human being to still be able to hold onto human characteristic in spite of what others perceived him as being..less than human under the most extreme hardships. Uncle Tom was more than the labels placed upon him by the world that deemed him a slave.

Uncle Tom was given responsibility over others who were enslaved and with the same trustworthy and honesty, he treated them in the same manner as he would want to be treated. Tom's character showed compassion for others especially those who were enslaved because he had first hand knowledge as to what it meant to be treated as less than human being because of the label, slave. But more important, Tom showed compassion for those who mistreated him. Tom defined who he was, not those who mistreated him, his character.

to be continued