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Essay on The Alchemy of Race and Riots

In The Alchemy of Race and Riots an argument takes place between a Jewish student and a black student at Stanford University. They argue about the identity of Beethoven, the black student stating that Beethoven had black heritage while the white student found that idea to be preposterous. Clearly this upset the black student, who is given the name "Q.C." Q.C. is angered by the fact that the white student is unwilling to believe that such a highly distinguished and honored composer such as Beethoven could have black roots.

To anger the black student even more, the white student, "Fred," colored a picture of Beethoven black and wrote the word "nigger" on the black fraternity poster. Fred defended his actions by saying he was "upset by all this emphasis on race, on blackness. Why can't we just all be human - I think it denies one's humanity to be racial" (111).

Fred further defended his actions by saying that what he did was meant to be humorous. As a German Jew Fred received teasing from his schoolmates about his being Jewish. Fred said that he learned to tolerate his classmate's behavior and his defacing of the poster was in the spirit of what he had learned. He wondered "why the black students couldn't respond to it in the spirit in which it was meant: nothing serious, just humor as a release" (111). He said that the message behind it was to stop "all this divisive black stuff and just be human"


Quotes talked about in this paper

  • Fred defended his actions by saying he was "upset by all this emphasis on race, on blackness. Why can't we just all be human – I think it denies one's humanity to be racial" ...
  • Williams argues that blacks are always labeled "the first of their kind" ...
  • "Q.C." Q.C. is angered by the fact that the white student is unwilling to believe that such a highly distinguished and honored composer such as Beethoven could have black roots. To anger the black student even more, the white student, "Fred," colored a picture of Beethoven black and wrote ...

Names referenced in this research paper
Fred, Patricia Williams, the black student,

Organizations referenced in this paper
Stanford University, government, American government,

Locations included in this report
United States,

Keywords referenced in this report
student, the black, Stanford University, African Americans, Beethoven, black community, black history, black studies, poster, Patricia Williams, shows, school, German Jew, free speech, affirmative action, Jewish, voting rights, personal attack, grade school, American government, elementary school, injustices, high school, United States, Alchemy, racism, fraternity, achievements, human, nigger, picture, inferiority, derogatory, lynched, teasing, wondered, invisibility, pitting, injury, privatization, just be, disciplinary, woes, racial, swift, appreciation, collective, perfect, humorous, contributions,

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The Alchemy of Race and Riots. (1969, December 31). In DirectEssays.com. Retrieved 01:01, May 22, 2013, from http://www.directessays.com/viewpaper/102285.html
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