Uncle Tom in Striped Pants
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14452/MR-003-12-1952-04_3Keywords:
Race, InequalityAbstract
In the long history of exploitation of colonial peoples by modem imperialist nations an effective technique has been to select certain ambitious members of the exploited group itself to act as a foil to and frustrater of the restive leadership of the oppressed. In the West Indies, for example, the British have made extensive use of light-complexioned Negroes for this purpose. These have been made to feel that their light color itself is a thing of superior value which has naturally merited them their superior governmental positions and titles of honor. Thus the leadership of the people is corrupted; it even becomes sensitively hostile to signs of unrest among the masses. Out of such a situation Marcus Garvey arose in the twenties to become one of the fiercest antagonists to the pretensions of the mulattoes.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.
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