Dr. Ossian Sweet

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer provides an opening statement in defense of the actions of African-American Dr. Ossian Sweet. The writer explains that Dr. Sweet, a law-abiding citizen, was faced with open hostility from members of racist organizations like the Klu Klux Klan, who barraged the Sweet family with threats almost as soon as the family arrived in Detroit. The writer describes how throngs of hostile Whites mobbed his house one night, throwing stones. The writer raises the issue of self defense and notes that we live in a divided world, in a divided city where many people fear losing their jobs and thus perhaps are more apt to fear people who are different. The writer concludes by asking the jury to honor their duties to the law and to simple humanity, and to imagine themselves in Dr. Sweet's shoes.

From the Paper:

"Sweet was the grandson of lawbreakers--yes, run-away slaves, people for whom it was criminal to be free, people to whom this land should bow down and apologize for deferring the dream of freedom for yet another generation. Like his parents, Ossian Sweet believed that if only he worked hard, the American dream of success might be his, and that he might live free and proud, safe and secure in his own home. What more could any father want?"
"Sweet left the hated South, a Florida of lynchings and Jim Crow, and fled northward, as so many African-American have done, in search of greater opportunities. He dreamed and achieved the ultimate American dream of home ownership. But cruelly, in the Promised Land of the North, right here, in Detroit, he found only violence. Members of racist organizations like the Klu Klux Klan barraged the Sweet family with threats almost as soon as the family arrived."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Boyle, Kevin. Arc of Justice. New York: Henry Holt and Co., 2004.

More papers on Dr. Ossian Sweet:

• Analytical Essay # 73327 : "Nancy Drew" vs. "Sweet Valley High"
• Book Review # 118374 : "Freud, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"
• Analytical Essay # 117953 : "The Stories of Dr. Seuss"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: