David Pilgrim,Ferris St. Univ.
The Tom caricature portrays Black men as faithful, happily submissive servants. The Tom caricature, and as with the Mammy Caricature,was born in ante-bellum America in the defense of slavery. How could slavery be wrong, argued its proponents, and if Black servants,males (Toms) and females (Mammies) were contented, faithful servants? The Tom is presented as a smiling, and wide-eyed,gloomy skinned server: fieldworker, cook, and butler,porter, or waiter. Unlike the Coon, and the Tom is portrayed as a dependable worker,fervent to serve. Unlike the Brute, the Tom is docile and non-threatening to Whites. The Tom is...
Source: realclearhistory.com