DuBois family

Thomas Lancaster DuBois, a mild-mannered rich black man, is an assistant district attorney and close friend of Robert Freeman. Tom, being non-confrontational and anxious 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 TV 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 eventually 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 named the "Booty Warrior" 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 American liberalism and as a result he is a Democrat. Tom's love for his political ideologies are marked by an incident where he kidnaps Ralph Nader during the 2004 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 dreamed of becoming a successful recording artist, he also sang a longer version of Usher's song "Burn" and made a parody 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 benchwarmer. He is depicted as somewhat of a goober and a wet blanket in social situations, since he seems unable to really lighten up.

He and his wife are active members of the NAACP and demonstrate a strong understanding of the struggles of black people much as Huey does. Huey is more proactive and confrontational in his approach and generally questions to what degree the NAACP helps black people. 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 does not 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. Provided by Wikipedia