Mag het weer, Zwarte Piet?

Can we have Black Pete again?

As you can see, our website depicts some Black Petes . To me, that has nothing to do with racism, and the counter-movement has actually almost completely ruined the nicest holiday in the Netherlands by pasting American sentiments around "blackface" (ridiculing people with a dark skin color) onto our national folklore. The Sinterklaas festival does not do that at all. It is the happiest children's festival we know, and it would be a loss if we exchanged that for the sinister Halloween (death and destruction) and the Coca-Cola Santa Claus (Santa Claus, the American derivative of Sinterklaas).

Personally, I find it very cruel that a political movement would target a children's party to make their point, while there is still plenty of room for improvement in other areas when it comes to discrimination.

And no, it is not nice when someone calls you or your child Black Pete, but just like with cheesehead, dumb blonde, lighthouse, dumbo, old white man or real swear words with the letter k that you hear a lot these days, you better shrug your shoulders. In a diverse multicultural society, you better laugh at each other's differences than get angry about them. Because the differences don't just go away.

Nobleman, not a slave

The figure of Black Pete has no origin or link with African slaves; Black Pete is also not dressed as a slave, but wears a chic nobleman's costume, including a lace collar and a beret with a feather, which indicates a very high status. That it has anything to do with racism is due to a misconception from the United Nations, who believed that this black-painted clownish figure was the European equivalent of "blackface". Total nonsense.

Positive role model

It is more like yin and yang, the white old forgetful Sinterklaas and his resourceful naughty black counterpart, both children's friends and inseparably connected. In the Sinterklaas stories something always goes wrong (forgotten a book, a boat gone, lost presents) and the clever Pieten always solve it. A very positive role model.

Celebrate undisturbed

Unfortunately, there is no "right to an undisturbed ceremony" in the Netherlands, but perhaps we can grant each other something without the need for a legal basis.

So please no protests on Dam Square during the commemoration of the dead, no whining about animal abuse during the Feast of Sacrifice, no screaming mob at the opening of a Holocaust museum and certainly no adults calling innocent children racist because of a real fairytale figure that they love. If we want to make a success of our society, we will not attack each other's traditions and (almost) sacred moments.

Slavery knows no color

The word "slave" can be traced back to the Slavic (Eastern European) peoples who were traded by North Africans, among others. The leader of Kick Out Zwarte Piet (unlike most Dutch people) is a direct descendant of slave traders, just like the founder of Omroep Zwart. The perpetrators were not always 'white' and the victims were not always 'black'.

Slavery knows no color and unfortunately still takes place in North Africa and the Middle East. And no, that has NOTHING to do with the best children's party in the Netherlands and we will not bother the little ones with that.

Back to blog