The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1945-10-06
Uncle Toms
Continued from Page u

DISLIKE TOMS"
! Reasons why colored leaders,
1 ably supported by other minor
/ ity groups, hit the headlines
last week in a New England
/ picket" against a New England
masterpiece for freedom, mSs
! puzzle some white observers and
even anger some Of our racial
brethren of the South. Here are
reasons:
a. New .Englanders (who
ought to Fnow), are denouncing
/ modern REVEALS of Uncle Toms
Cabin because modern produc-
ers have cropped the serious
slave message behind the i'm
mortal classic and made it into
a cheap proft-making black
face minstrel shove to entertain
father than to educate.
81 The quiet Christian role
Of Uncle Tom has long since
been prost:tuted into a fake
''happy- slave" acceptance of
racial inequalities which has
twisted and distorted the ideal
aims CT the author.
90 The modern "slave-hap-
by" conception of Uncle Tom
is a continuous source of bitter
ness to colored civilians and
Servicemen alike who have sac
rifced so much for freedom, de-
mocracy and equality. The slave
attitude Of Modern Toms" and
Long Goats" is a subject as
dangerous as waving a red flag
in front Of bull. 1 know, be-
cause I've talked with colored
servicemen of all branches.
They are unanimous.
OLD RACKET
Uncle Tom in the modern dis
torted Interpretation of profit
seeking white authors Seeking
to appease the SOUTH is no
hero to the colored masses Of
America or the world. This is
no fault of Harriet Beecher
Stowe no more than is the
"jazzsd up" sersion of colored
slave sacred spirituals (con-
ceived in labor and PAIN or
she false films like Birth Of
a Nation" or Imitation OF
Life all tending to prove in
subtle way that slavery was best
for the colored man. These lit
tie trickerieS are nothing new
to observant coiored leaders WHO
always manage tc take the
xxx, the Huey Longs, Rankins
and Bilbos in stride. And where
as Uncle Toms Cabin nobly
served its purpose rs years ago
when people were more intel
l.gent about racial-wrongs and
even went to war about it, we
know today that Uncle Tom is
not being revived for any NOR
al mission The mission today IS
money.
GEN PATTONS VIEW
The southern influence, has
of course, seeped into New Eng
land. We know that by the Bay
State opposition this year to
FEPC; by the horrors expressed
against Miss Lillian Smith, the
banning of inter-racial mixing
by the University City of Cam
bridges school committee, and
The readiness to accept slave re-
vivalS which were much more
sinful than the judgments
against Strange Fruit" Incl
dentally, where Strange Fruit
may have q few salty pages, the
truth about slavery would show
countless sordid pages of white
masters" in relations with COL
cred women. Yet we have the
hypocrisy to revive one and
suppress the other here in New
England this year. This is
dangerous trend of intolerance
for others we do not agree with.
The case Of General George
Patton, a great military leader
but poor civil administrator,
reflects this policy. Gen. Pat
tons early quoted acceptance of
the NaZi 'deology as being as
harmless as American political
parues Is a fair example of TINS
thought trend. The fact that
the NaZis murdered Jews and
other minorities makes no diff
ference to some psople. Of
course Patton's southern politi-
cal contacts and men like
LastlarG, Talmadge, Rankin
9nd Rilbo may not differ much
in theology from the Nazi Par
ty. In these comparisons, Patton
may have told the TRUTH
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