Trouble In Mind Historical Research One of the references used in Trouble In Mind is Uncle Tom. John, a character in the play says, “sounds kind of Uncle Tommish” (Childress 53). The purpose of this reference in the play is to reinvent the stereotype that African Americans are submissive to their white superiors. Uncle tom is a derogatory term used to describe a black male who is a faithful and devoted servant to a white family. He does not have any black friends or family. He’s always smiling, is submissive, a simpleton, and eager to serve his white superiors. It originated as a character in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852. While the novel characterized Uncle Tom as a positive character, the portrayals of Uncle