Dubois Family - Tom

Tom

Thomas Lancaster DuBois, a wealthy and mild-mannered black man, is an assistant district attorney and close friend of Robert Freeman. Tom, being non-confrontational and skittish by nature, adheres strictly to the law, particularly due to his irrational fear of being sent to prison and anally raped. This fear originated when Tom was exposed at a very young age to a television series that depicted a violent prison rape. The fear developed to such a degree that Tom refused to participate in even the slightest of legal infractions (even those that are not punishable by a prison sentence) as a youth and throughout adulthood. His job as a prosecuting attorney is ironic: He essentially sends other people (mostly black men) to the fate he himself most fears, and he seems to feel guilty about it. Tom is ultimately forced to confront his phobia in the third season episode A Date With the Booty Warrior, where he comes face to face with a rapist after being trapped in a prison washroom during a riot. Tom seemingly conquers his fear after beating the would-be rapist unconscious with a bar of soap (after he slipped and fell on his back), and also mentions to Sarah that he plans on becoming a public defender in order to save young men from being violated in prison.

Tom's political ideologies are more towards Liberalism and as a result he is a Democrat. Tom's passion for his political ideologies are marked by an incident where he kidnaps Ralph Nader during the 2004 United States Presidential election, who he believes is a threat that could stunt the Democratic vote.

Tom's hobbies include singing and playing the piano, and he once dreamt of becoming a successful recording artist, he also sang a full version of Usher's song "Burn" and did a spoof of the music video, but was later made more realistic when it was interrupted by a moving car, as well as Sarah asking him if he was doing that "Music Video thing" again. He also played basketball on his Ivy League college team at Princeton University but, as Sarah points out, he was mostly a bench warmer. He is depicted as somewhat of a goober and a wet blanket in social situations, since he seems unable to truly lighten up.

He and his wife are active members of the NAACP and demonstrate a strong understanding of the struggles of African Americans, much as Huey does. Huey is more proactive and confrontational in his approach and generally questions to what degree the NAACP helps African Americans. Furthermore, Huey views Tom as part of the white power structure that he detests (i.e., part of the "system"), however, he does show Tom respect as an elder. Riley's interactions with Tom are few and far between, and (like most adults Riley encounters) he doesn't respect him. This leaves him prone to clash with Tom in many of the same ways he clashes with his own grandfather.

Tom was also temporarily possessed by the spirit of Colonel H. Stinkmeaner