He is born as Schwartz. In German, schwarz (-t) is for black.
Roth (-schild) is for red.
That reminds on the book: "The Red and the Black" which is about:
"It chronicles the attempts of a provincial young man to rise socially beyond his modest upbringing through a combination of talent, hard work, deception, and hypocrisy. He ultimately allows his passions to betray him."