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Dec 7, 2021 · Though Beethoven is typically portrayed as a white man, some claim that he was actually Black. Certain proponents of this theory point to comments from Beethoven’s contemporaries that describe him as “dark” and “swarthy,” with a “blackish-brown complexion.”
Aug 1, 2020 · Ultimately, there is no reason to believe that Beethoven was Black: the genealogical evidence going back to the 1400s shows unambiguously that Beethoven’s family was Flemish. Speculative...
Sep 29, 2020 · His writing often challenged accepted theories about race and African inferiority that were prevalent at the time. Between 1941 and 1944, he published a three-volume tome called Sex and Race. In it, he posited his conclusion that Beethoven was Black. The evidence he cites are still the talking points for current social media debate.
Jun 22, 2020 · There’s a theory floating around on the Internet that Ludwig van Beethoven was black – and it turns out the debate’s been alive for nearly a century. Over the last few days, a theory has been circulating on Twitter: was Beethoven black?
At the BBC the Chineke! Orchestra founder Chi-chi Nwanoku denounced Beethoven for whitewashing a black violinist out of history. In New York, a City University professor, Philip Ewell, dismissed...
Jun 9, 2015 · A new album by the group Beethoven Was African aims to prove that the polyrhythms of the composer’s music point to west African heritage. But does their quest open up a more important debate in...
Jun 26, 2020 · Smithsonian Magazine covers the recent resurgence of the debate, “Was Beethoven Black?,” with contributions from Kira Thurman, Member (2019–20) in the School of Historical Studies, whose Twitter thread on the question went viral last week. Read more at Smithsonian Magazine, and find Thurman’s thread below.
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