Congressman Apologizes for ‘Uncle Thomas’ Tweet Aimed at Clarence

A Democratic legislator from Minnesota apologized Tuesday for a tweet he sent that referred to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as “Uncle Thomas” following a major ruling on the nation’s voting rights law.

Thomas voted with the 5-4 majority making it tougher for federal officials to prevent states, primarily in the South, from adopting policies that add barriers to voting.

In response, state Rep. Ryan Winkler tweeted: “#SCOTUS VRA majority is four accomplices to race discrimination and one Uncle Thomas. Marriage decision may blur Court’s backsliding.”

“Uncle Tom” is the term for an obsequious black person that originated from Harriet Beecher Stowe’s pre-Civil War novel about slavery, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”