Uncle tom's cabin?

Question

I'm writing a essay on this book and the question is "Why do black people find the term uncle tom offensive?"

Answer 1

I think it is because of the fact that Uncle Tom represented a black person who gave in to the white man and did not stand up for himself. Maybe it is because of a simple thing called a stigma?

Answer 2

In more recent years, readers have criticized the book for what is seen as condescending racist descriptions of the book's black characters, especially with regard to the character's appearance, speech, and behavior and the passive nature of Uncle Tom in accepting his fate. from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Tom's_Cabin#Criticism_and_Stereotypes