TIME GOAL: 1 hr

START TIME: 8:55pm

READING LOG #2
END TIME: 10:28pm
Alyssa Ngo

BEFORE READING
Write the following information down in this order.
Title of Article: “ScHoolboy Q Wants White People To Say The Word”
Based on the title alone, what do you know about the subject matter?
- I’m assuming the “word” is the “n” word. Before reading, I do not know who ScHoolboy Q is
and whether he is white or black (or even neither), but I do know that there is controversy about
the “n” word and who can say it, who can’t, or whether anyone should be able to say it at all, an
argument that mainly stems from the history between blacks and whites.
Write down your predictions: What will this article cover?
- I predict that in this chapter, author Hanif Abdurraqib will go into the racial history of the “n”
word being used and then go into the news from today about it. Because the debate about this
word is current and still happening today and is a lot about black people reclaiming the “n” word
from the white people who used it as a racial slur for centuries, so I predict that this chapter will
tie in themes ScHoolboy Q presents to demonstrate and explain this political and racial issue.

Make a list for each.

External Distractions (What is physically distracting you?):
- The other members of my family doing stuff in the house
- My phone (screen lighting up, notifications going off)
- Other homework assignments sitting on my desk around me
- The TV playing in the living room
- Music playing in brother’s room
Internal Distractions (What thoughts are interfering with your concentration?):
- Thought of completing other homework assignments
- Thinking of what I’m going to eat for dinner
- Thinking of walking my dogs
 DURING READING
Practice annotations using these methods. Check the boxes to confirm which methods you’ve practiced.
 Circle words that are new to you, and that you do not understand.
 Write the main idea of each paragraph next to it in the margins. Try to use one word or a short
phrase to summarize these points.
 Highlight passages that demonstrate ethos (yellow), pathos (pink), logos (green).

Complete the following chart, indicating words/ pop culture references you had to Google during your
reading. Hit the TAB button if you run out of room.
Words/Pop Culture What do they mean?
References
ScHoolboy Q ScHoolboy Q is an American rapper and artist. He is the main focus of this
chapter and is used as an analogy to delve into the history of using the “n” word
and its relevance today.
Figg Street Figg Street was where ScHoolboy Q grew up and is the focus of one of his
songs “NigHtmare On Figg St.” which has themes of drugs and violence.
precursor Definition: a person or thing that comes before another of the same kind
bloodletting Definition: the violent killing and wounding of people during a war or conflict
Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group mainly compromised of rapper
artists. The idea of the group was to enter the industry as a unit, then allow
artists to shine and earn money independently.
Biggie Biggie, more famously known as The Notorious B.I.G., was a popular
American rapper, and is widely considered as one of the greatest rappers of all
time. He was noted for his storytelling abilities, which focused a lot on crime
and hardship.
Gym Class Heroes Gym Class Heroes was an American rap and rock band that focused on hip hop,
rock, and reggae. They were signed onto Decaydance Records and performed at
the Vans Warped Tour.
Warped Tour Warped Tour (known as the Vans Warped Tour) is an annual traveling rock
tour. It is mainly compromised of alternative and punk rock music, featuring
many artists in the “emo” style of music.
emo Definition: a style of rock music resembling punk but having more complex
arrangements and lyrics that deal with more emotional subjects
 AFTER READING
Answer the following questions using complete sentences in your composition notebook using intext
citations for each question.
Example of an in-text citation, or quotation sandwich: In one instance, Abdurraqib discusses his own
experience and states, “...” (Abdurraqib 82).

1. What is the speaker’s motivation for writing this piece? Who is their target audience? Explain
how you know by including an in-text citation, or evidence from the text. (8 complete sentences)
Abdurraqib’s motivation for writing “ScHoolboy Q Wants White People To Say The Word” stems
from the history of racial issues in America and the debate that exists over the “n” word. There is a
movement within the black community to reclaim this word, yet the argument still exists in white and
non-black people as to who should be able to say the word. For black people, they argue the word should
belong to them, a reclamation of it after centuries of slavery and racism, and Abdurraqib argues that “part
of the word’s lineage has to be accounted for” (Abdurraqib 33). But for non-black people, it’s not their
slur to reclaim, yet they “cite the world’s ugly history as a reason why no one should say it” (Abdurraqib
34). In a sense, he targets both black and non-black audiences through this essay, as if asking, “What
would you do?” It’s clear that there are two sides for both the black and non-black audiences. There are
black people who want the word to be theirs and theirs alone, and there are black people who still find the
word “ugly,” such as Abdurraqib’s mother. And there are non-black people who frankly don’t care
because the word isn’t a part of their history, and then there are others who feel if they can’t say it then no
one can say it. He proposes all sides of this endless debate, but hints to one with his bias in black history,
as if to get the audience to reflect upon morality through this issue.

2. What rhetorical appeals did the author employ to make for a compelling argument? Provide
citations for each example of ethos, pathos, and logos. (8 complete sentences +)
Abdurraqib uses multiple rhetorical appeals throughout this essay to strengthen his argument. From
my analysis, I mostly see logical appeals, with ethos sprinkled throughout in the form of personal
experiences and accounts. First, we see Abdurraqib using logical appeals as he introduces public figures,
history, and dated events into his essay. The first public figure that is the star of the essay is ScHoolboy
Q. ScHoolboy Q, though a black artist, is seemingly okay with a racial slur, historically used by white
people against black people, continuing to be used by white people. Despite Abdurraqib’s indifferent
stance, shown in the words “ScHoolboy Q can certainly do whatever he wants and doesn’t need my
permission” (Abdurraqib 38), he explains throughout the essay that is inherently wrong for non-black
people to be able to use racist remarks. He provides a clear logic to his argument and to the readers: slurs
used against a disenfranchised group should only be reclaimed by that group. Even if members of that
group want nothing to do with it, such as Abdurraqib’s mother, which shows his ethos in this situation, no
other members of other groups should have the privilege or power over the word. Through history and
logic, Abdurraqib provides his argument with compelling evidence and stances to convince the audience
of his views towards this controversial issue.

3. Although you may disagree with the argument, or the issue the speaker presents, pretend that you
agree with them, and describe the qualities of the argument that you found most compelling. Be
sure to use direct in-text citations, or evidence to justify your argument. (8 complete sentences)
In this essay, Abdurraqib’s argument revolves around claiming or reclaiming one’s identity. What is
most compelling here is the clear connection between his argument and his evidence, as the evidence
almost is the argument. Abdurraqib brings up the issue of speaking the “n” word, which is a debate that
has been going on for years but seems to have an obvious answer. Abdurraqib begins addressing this
issue by introducing all the sides, from the black community who wants to reclaim the word, to the black
people who are disgusted by it, to the non-black folk who think it is say-all or none-at-all. His argument is
most compelling when he brings in the history of it; the fact that the word was once “hurled through the
air while a boot [came] down on a face… [stories that have] a tone of the teller of it understanding that
they might not have lived to do the telling if not for some stroke of luck” (Abdurraqib 33). It is the cruel
history behind the word that makes his argument all more intriguing and compelling to believe. We feel
pity for those before us, who suffered and died at the hands of racism and inequality and feel that nothing
but the best should be given to the community that survived. It’s quite bold, to use fear tactics such as
that, but it makes it believable and makes readers more inclined to side with him.

4. Although you may agree with the speaker’s stance on the issue, write a counterargument
explaining why you disagree. Again, you will need to use direct evidence to make your case (8
complete sentences +)
There is an overarching claim that non-black people should be able to claim parts of black identity,
such as the “n” word. Abdurraqib, though indifferent towards decisions like ScHoolboy Q’s decision to
let white people say the “n” word, shows an inherent bias as a black individual that decisions like that are
wrong. It is difficult to argue against the use of the “n” word without opposing support of the black
community, turning away for their historical and current struggles. But I disagree in the sense that no part
of violent history should have to be reclaimed or paraded in society. The “n” word has an offensive
connotation, was hurled as an insult and used in tandem with violence and racism, so it would be better to
erase that language from society so that it cannot be used offensively anymore. Using the word more
frequently only exposes more people to the word, and we cannot control which people hear it, just as we
cannot control which people say it. So, if we rid ourselves of the word, we can rid ourselves of those who
misuse it. Because as Abdurraqib says, ScHoolboy Q was “giving a permission to something that would
likely occur even if a permission wasn’t granted… [and] allowing it to be done louder, and more
comfortably” (Abdurraqib 37). Yet, ScHoolboy Q is familiarizing the wrong crowd with these
permissions and normalizing it to the society who will misuse it. It’s better to get rid of it, so that no
person can misuse it. That is why I disagree with Abdurraqib’s argument.