The American Directory Of Certified: Uncle Toms

Rating:
Summary: Indicted and Convicted
Review: Did the people who had a problem with this book read it? The analysis, the history, the nuanced perspective is devastating. Perhaps this is the trouble. The authors do not contend that "anybody who makes it is an Uncle Tom." Rather, the authors look at those of us who have been "allowed" to make it and examine their statements on the public record and their contributions, if any, to the race. Fair enough. To paraphrase Malcolm X, "you might not like their saying it, but you can't deny it."

I suspect that the other discomforting aspect of this book is the fact that black people are challenged to look at themselves and determine the ways in which they collaborate with the racist/capitalist system. I felt indicted and on a number of counts - convicted - by the author's, but happily so. Happily, because I hope to shed the self-hating, warped beliefs and behaviors that I hold and that, coincidentally, succor the horrific government we have in the US. The people who mistake a subtle, analytical work with a broad brush attack on successful black folk for being successful black folk are not being real.

Rating:
Summary: Indicted and Convicted
Review: Did the people who had a problem with this book read it? The analysis, the history, the nuanced perspective is devastating. Perhaps this is the trouble. The authors do not contend that "anybody who makes it is an Uncle Tom." Rather, the authors look at those of us who have been "allowed" to make it and examine their statements on the public record and their contributions, if any, to the race. Fair enough. To paraphrase Malcolm X, "you might not like their saying it, but you can't deny it."

I suspect that the other discomforting aspect of this book is the fact that black people are challenged to look at themselves and determine the ways in which they collaborate with the racist/capitalist system. I felt indicted and on a number of counts - convicted - by the author's, but happily so. Happily, because I hope to shed the self-hating, warped beliefs and behaviors that I hold and that, coincidentally, succor the horrific government we have in the US. The people who mistake a subtle, analytical work with a broad brush attack on successful black folk for being successful black folk are not being real.

Rating:
Summary: offensive
Review: Every black person in this book who is called an Uncle Tom has one thing in common. They are all successful. What Richard Laurence, James B. Lowe seem to be saying with their mean spirited tome is that unless you're poor and humble you're not really black. I find that offensive and unproductive. The authors ought to read Willie Lynch's letter. Their book falls right into what it was talking about.

Rating:
Summary: Is everyone an Uncle Tom?
Review: No matter what a brother or sister does to uplift the race, we are still viewed as Uncle Toms. It's not enough that a brother or sister wants to embelish in his or her success without being made to feel that we are trying to be white. Who we select as mates isn't really anyone's business. Just because they chose outside doesn't necessarily mean that they don't have a great impact on the black community. As a member of the African-American community, we should be encouraging one another to achieve and strive to be what we can be. Not stabbing one another in the back and bringing another down. This book is nothing more than a backlash to successful people of color.

Rating:
Summary: Same Old Story
Review: Once again, we have the oldest trick in the book. A cheap way of getting the support of bitter and frustrated people by hurling blame at others and calling names (i.e., growing SOUR GRAPES). Simply another in a long line of rants to serve as an outlet for the bitter and semi-educated and collecting of cash by the clever by confusing the credulous.

The writers would have accomplished more by showing the readers how to defeat the ills they speak of and improve their condition rather than wastiing their obvious intellect in denigrating others. But hey, controversy sells.

BTW-In response to a previous poster, the Willie Lynch letter was a recent forgery, not a historical fact (see review for that book).

Rating:
Summary: A Daring Rebuke of Black Eurocentrists
Review: The American Directory of Certified Uncle Toms is a well documented, scholarly, and witty critique of the most stridently Eurocentric elements of the Black community. The book clearly distinguishes between "enlightened Black interests"( economic, political and creative self-determination)and the practices of Black Eurocentrists(undermining grassroots Black leadership,justifying the suppressive staus quo, portraying our pathologies for financial gain, and minimal accountability to legitimate Black contituencies). Finally, we have a publication that takes on white liberalism, Black conservatism,pathological classism in our community, and an inordinate Zionist influence(the part where Ron Dellums was forced to have a family meeting because of a potential political backlash is particularly telling). While I may not agree with all entries, this book is essential in its value to Black people whether they like or not.

Rating:
Summary: this is plain wrong
Review: The American Directory of Certified Uncle Toms is a well documented,scholarly, and witty critique of the most stridently "Eurocentric" elements of the black community. The book clearly distinguishes black interests(economic, political,and creative Black self-determination)from the practices of Black Eurocentrists(undermining grassroots black leadership,justifications for white supremacy,arististic portrayals of black pathology for financial gain, and fronting
anti-Black agendas with no accountability to Black constituencies). Finally, we have a publiaction that courageously critiques white-liberalism, black conservatism, elitism in the black upper and middle classes, and an inordinate Zionist influence(the section where Ron Dellums was forced to have a family meeting because he feared a political backlash for
not supporting aid to Isreal was especially telling). Whether you agree or disagree with all entries(Dubois and Wshington both with five stars!), The American Directory of Certified Uncle Toms
is an important work.

Rating:
Summary: A Must have
Review: This is one heck of a book and I don't understand why any black person would dis it. (unless they are convicted)I've read it several times.

Rating:
Summary: Realize the point of this book
Review: TO ALL THE PREVIOUS READER RESPONSES.......before you degrade the validity of this book, please remmember what the authors are trying to make us as readers realize. Even though not EVERYTHING in this book is 100% true, and although it SEEMS that the authors are slamming the idea of "success" in america, they are right in saying that these so called Uncle Toms or "sellouts" are not using their positions as powerful and popular figures in the black community and abroad to explode the reality of WHITE SUPREMACY in this country. The book is not saying that just because they are successful that they are Uncle Toms, it is saying so because they do not address the fact that we as a Black community are still being controled and manipilated by the same forces and powers that give these figures their salaries and status. True, people like Oprah and Bill Cosby have done many great things with their careers for all people, but they are still operating within their bondaries as the figures they are. If one of these prominent black figures had the audacity to speak out against the real history of this country dealing with the holocaust against black people and it's 400 year history and HOW TO REVERSE IT, their credibility AND their status, finances, positions and all would be virtually stripped away from them by the SAME corporations, financers and institutions that not only have an influential hand in their present status, but were a part of the mental degradation of black people when this all started. THAT is why some of these names are in this book. Look past the fact that they all don't live in the ghetto or don't speak slang, and pay attention to their role (or lack thereof) in working so that black people will no longer be associated with these things, as well as re-define the meaning of black people being "successful" as a WHOLE and not only as individuals.