IN DUTCH: ZWARTE PIET IS RACISME

IN ENGLISH: BLACK PETE IS RACISM

Tegenstanders van Zwarte Piet bij de landelijke intocht van Sinterklaas op de Zaanse Schans. © ANP

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INTRODUCTION

PART I/BLACK PETE

PART II/THE FACE OF FASCISM

INTRODUCTION

Dear Readers,

How would you react, when you saw, in nowadays 21st century,  a steamboat, navigating

on sea, river or channel, throwing its anchour, and an

 old, solemn white man with a

beard and a mitre, a Bishop, holding his Entrance [”Intocht”

in Dutch] in the city or village with as his servant a black guy in an old fashioned

Moorish costume, speaking with an odd accent, with a strange

looking Afro hairpiece, big fat red lips, strange golden [slave like] earrlngs, running around, screaming, kicking, oddly laughinh

and for the rest looking very stupid?

You guess already?

It’s the Dutch Sinterklaas [Dutch for Saint Nicholas] Feast and it is

yearly enjoyed at 5 december.

Several weeks before, there is the Entrance or Arrival [In Dutch:

Intocht] of Sinterklaas, a National Sinterklaas Intocht [Entrance] and

local Entrances.

I hope, that you’ll be embarassed and indignant, recognizing a caricature

of black people?

Then we are talking business…..

Because not only this ”Zwarte Piet” [Dutch for Black Pete] [1]

is an embarrasment, he is, of course, not really black, but a black painted

figure, like the former American ”Blackface” in movies…..[2]

I refer to the annual Dutch Sinterklaas Feast [Dutch for Saint Nicholas], at

5 december.

YOU GUESS ALREADY WHAT POINT I WANT TO MAKE:

Today I want to talk with you about ”Zwarte Piet”

a not so nice Fairy Tale Creature, who happens [and for my concern:

”happened”] to be the black helper of ”Sinterklaas” or

St Nicolaas [Saint Nicholas] [3], who

comes from Spain each year, giving the children presents and

sweet candies, at least, when they are obedient……[4].

When they are naughty, they get nothing……

Traditionally, naughty children are being ”punished” by ”Zwarte Piet”

[from now  on for my English readers ”Black Pete], getting no presents

at all, but are being put in a sack and been brought to Spain.

HAHAHA, that’s the tradition, which could be nice, isn’t it?

Were it not, that that whole ”Black Pete” figure stems from a racist tradition

from the 19th century, the century of slavery, racist supremacist theories

and fanatical colonialism.

PART I

BLACK PETE

BACKGROUND/ORIGINS OF THE RACIST BLACK PETE

”Blackface” Black Pete [Zwarte Piet] at first appeared in 1850 in a book by

the Dutch teacher J. Schenkman, titled ”Sint Nikolaas en zijn Knecht” (“Saint Nicholas and his Servant”), [5], but there are signs that Black Pete

operated earlier in the 19th century and was called ”Pietermanknecht”

(Dutch for Pete my Servant] [6]

Be as it may:

Crucial to the story is, that Black Pete was depicted as

black, which meant in the 19th century racist times:

Inferior.

A servant of the white man [woman]

And that was the main problem with the Blackface tradition:

Picturing black as inferior didn’t originate out of nothing:

It stemmed from the beginning of the transatlantic slave trade and

the 17th, 18th, 19th slavery in the America’s

Racism developed and reached its absolute lowest point

in the 19th century, when slavery, fanatical colonialism

the great West European colonial Empires originated from the 19th century]

and race supremacy theories from ”white over black”

developed.

Against this background black meant

”inferior ”race”, a servant, ridiculous, stupid and also aggressive,

because ”Black Pete” was putting naughty children in a bag, dragging

them to Spaionm, where ”Sinterklaas” and Black Pete came from.

Black Pete was dressed ridiculously:

In a so called ”Moorish costume” ,which was mainly based on

the paintings of white masters in  the Netherlands,

picturing themselves with servants or slaves dressed

in Moorish clothes, [see the photo’s in my article].

So imaging Black Pete like that, symbols, seen in the light

of slavery, a subordinate role.

 Inferiority of ”race”

And Black Pete not only was dressed in that costume in the 19th century, but sticked to it untill now, 2018, the 21st century!

This is no innocent folklore, but downright racism, because through

the 19th century and a great deal of the 20th century, Black Pete remained

”funny”, ”stupid”, ”agressive” and most of all:

A servant.

Moreover it stroked, that Black Pete spoke with a strange

Surinamese like accent [but not real Surinamese: Suriname or

Dutch Guyana is an ex colony of the Netherlands with a

history of slavery and it lies in South America, north of Brasil]

[7]

While ”Sinterklaas” spoke the Dutch language correctly from the

moment he first came from Spain and set foot

in the Netherlands with his steamboat!

In a colonial and later post colonial society, which had developed

institutional racism [8] the Figure of Black Pete helped to confirm

a negative inmage of black people in general, consciously or, and

that’s worse, subconsciously. [9]

Admitted, during the second half of the 20th century and nowadays,

the strange accent with which Zwarte Piet spoke [in contrary with Sinterklaas] is gone, but the other strereotypes, slave earrings,

fat red lips, a strange Afro hair piece, stupid behaviour and especially

the black skin of course, still remain.

Blackface/Golliwog

Similarities with the racist caricature of Black Pete were

Golliwog [in Great Britain] [10] and in the USA, Black Face characters

in theatres and films [11], both also originated in the 19th century [12]

Although  Golliwogs and Blackface stereotypes have not completely

disapeared, they are on their retour and at least most modern

people acknowledge the racist character and peopole maintaining

Golliwog or Blackface are being pointed as backward and racist.[13]

In the Netherlands however, anti Black Pete protests still cause a storm.

More about that in a minute.

But first about the sillty arguments of the Black Pete defenders:

BLACK PETE DEFENDERS:

A

BLACK PETE WAS NOT AN INVENTION

OF JAN SCHENKMAN, HE ALREADY WAS A COMPANION OF SINTERKLAAS MEDIEVAL TIMES

Now some defenders of Blackface Zwarte Piet go out of their way to prove, that

Sinterklaas also in the Medieval Netherlands was accompanied by black men, or black ghosts, or whatsoever. [14]

Maybe, maybe not

Opinions differ [15]

But so what, if he already existed in the Middle Ages!

The point is not, whether before the 19th century there was

[perhaps] a black companion of Sinterklaas.

Point is the RACIST CARICATURE Black Pete has become from

the 19th century untill now!

And that’s the reason of the protests, not whether there was some black ghost

or companion in the Middle Ages.

Because to put things clear:

The concept of ”race”, especially the black race inferior to the

”white race” is an invention from the 17th century, the period

of transatlantic slavery and slavery in the America’s [16]

The horror period of slavery in the America’s, which lasted

at least 300 years, provided the patterns of black ”inferiority”

So Black Pete was a product from that background:

Black Pete being subordinate to the white Sinterklaas and

Black Pete being stupid and inferior because of his

blackness.

BLACK PETE DEFENDERS

B

BLACK PETE IS BLACK, COMING FROM THE CHIMNEY

Black Pete defenders argue, that there is nothing stereotype or

racist to the Figure Black Pete, sincwe his blackness stems from

coming out of the chimney. [17]

Now that may be the explanation for the [possible] black companions

of Sinterklaas in the Middle Ages in different European countries [18],

but, again, that was in the Middle Ages and has nothing to do with

the racist caricature of the 19th century Black Pete.

And it is utter nonsense to allege, that the nowadays racist

caricature became ”black”, coming from the chimney.

Or does ”coming out of the chimney” means, that someone

gets an Afro hairpiece, silly golden earrings, fat lips, a Moorish

dress and and all black skin?

It would have been more convincing, when such a figure had

traces of soot in his face, as the way opposers of the

racist Black Pete caricature want to reform the character now.

In the socalled ”roetveegpieten” [in English ”soot faced Petes”, see

one of the photo’s at the article]

CONSEQUENCES OF BLACK PETE RACISM

DISCRIMINATION AND TEASING

Black Pete defenders always refer to the tradition

Sinterklaas/Zwarte Piet [Black Pete] as a Feast

for Children.

But nothing is less true:

Because during Sinterklaas time, black children

are being teased  [and were teased]

with the appearance of Black Pete, not only calling

them ”Zwarte Piet” [Black Pete],  but also ”stupid”, ”ugly”,

”dirty” and more demeaning words. [19]

And to my opinion and many other protesters of Black Pete,

a children’s Feast is only a children’s Feast, if ALL children

benefit from it!

PROTESTS AGAINST BLACKFACE BLACK PETE

There’s much to say about the protests and demonstrations

against the racist caricature Black Pete and I am not going to mention

them all [that would fill a book], but a brief overview:

Although there were decennialong protests against Black Pete, in 2011

there was a real breakthrouigh, when a group of five black artists,

among else Quincy Gario and Kno’ledge Cesare [Jerry Affryie], protested

at the Grand Entrance of Sinterklaas in Dordrecht, holding a T shirt

with the text ””Zwarte Piet is Racism”, met police brutality and

were arrested. [20]

But police brutality didn’t prevent people from protesting!

The grocery chain Lidl is the only one reported to have completely eliminated images deemed racial caricatures. They will have coloring pictures that children may color as they choose.  [33]

However, like most developments, changes are going faster and

earlier in the big cities than in smaller towns and villages.

Thus the areas of North and South Holland and Utrecht have seen the most change, while Drenthe, Friesland, and Zeeland, the least.  [34]

CHANGES

CHILDREN’S OMBUDSMAN

I already mentioned the report of the children’s Ombudsman

September 30, 2016, suggesting that Zwarte Pete be “stripped of discriminatory or stereotypical characteristics.” Otherwise children’s rights for fair treatment and protection from discrimination may be violated. “The figure of Zwarte Piet can contribute to bullying, exclusion or discrimination, and is therefore contrary to the [International Convention on the Rights of the Child],” the report continued. “Many [children of color] who experience discrimination in their daily lives say that it’s worse around Sinterklaas time.” And further, “Several Black children found the typical characteristics and buffoonish behavior of Black Pete to be ‘negative and discriminatory against people with dark skin.'” These characteristics “must be changed so children of colour do not experience any adverse effects, and every child feels safe” during  Sinterklaastijd. [35]

I also mentioned, that following the report the Children’s Ombudsman received dozens of angry reactions and numerous threats.  [36]

Again:

If it is about ”just a Children’s Feast”, why then all those hysterical reactions?

BLACK PETE GOES INTERNATIONAL!

UN

CONDEMNATION OF BLACK PETE

The fight against the racist caricature Black Pete is supported

internantionally and at an important level.

The United Nations!

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

wrote a report, issued in 2015, demanding from the Dutch government

a change in the racist features of Black Pete  [37]

I quote from the report:

” While the Committee understands that the tradition of Sinterklaas and Black Pete is enjoyed by many persons in Dutch society, the Committee notes with concern that the character of Black Pete is sometimes portrayed in a manner that reflects negative stereotypes of people of African descent and is experienced by many people of African descent as a vestige of slavery, which is injurious to the dignity and self-esteem of children and adults of African descent.  ”

Another quote:

” Considering that even a deeply-rooted cultural tradition does not justify discriminatory practices and stereotypes, the Committee recommends that the State party actively promote the elimination of those features of the character of Black Pete which reflect negative stereotypes and are experienced by many people of African descent as a vestige of slavery. The Committee recommends that the State party find a reasonable balance, such as a different portrayal of Black Pete and ensure respect of human dignity and human rights of all inhabitants of the State party. The Committee further recommends that the State party ensure non-discrimination in the enjoyment of freedom of expression and association, and that attacks on protesters be effectively investigated and duly prosecuted.” [38]

Earlier, in 2013, Verene Shephard, a Un official, wrote the Dutch government

with the same sort of critics about Black Pete

I quote from the letter:

” The character and image of Black Pete perpetuate a stereotyped image of African people and people of African descent as second-class citizens, fostering an underlying sense of inferiority within Dutch society and stirring racial differences as well as racism. During the celebration, numerous people playing the Black Pete figure blacken their faces, wear bright red lipstick as well as afro wigs. The Black Pete figure is to act as a fool and as a servant of Santa Claus. The Black Pete segment of Santa Claus celebrations is experienced by African people and people of African descent as a living trace of past slavery and oppression, tracing back to the country’s past involvement in the trade of African slaves in the previous centuries. Reportedly, a growing opposition to the racial profiling of Black Pete within the Dutch society, including by people of non-African origins, is to be noticed. However, it is also alleged that no response has been given to associations defending the rights of African people and people of African descent in the Netherlands, which are asking for dialogue on this issue.”

[39]

Clear language, as well from the UN report as the letter of mrs Verene Shephard!

PART II

THE FACE OF FASCISM

So we have seen backward stupidity, threaths, racist or not,

road blockades and hateful stuff on social media.

But it can be worse, when the Hand of fascism reveals itself:

One of the main characteristics of fascism is creating

scapegoats or ”enemies” of the people or

the State.

Another side is violence.

And both showed itself in a horror way:

DEMONISING LEADERS OF KICK OUT ZWARTE PIET:

Not long ago [november 2018], extreme right wing and pro Pete journalist Weird Duk

wrote a malicious article in the Dutch paper ”The Telegraph”,

titled ”The danger of a radical agenda”, thereby demonising

the Kick Out Zwarte Pete movement, accusing the leaders to

be ”dangerous” and ”extreme” [40]

But the worst thing was the photo at the article, picturing

Mitchell Esajas and Kno’ledge Cesare [Jerry Afriyie] as

sinister figures, looking down at a peaceful Dutch landscape

with mills and dark clouds as the foreboding of a catastrophe. [41]

This horror photo is going back in Time, when – in Nazi Germany

of the thirty years- Jews were portrayed equally.

I mention here especially a drawing of a Jew, looking down

on a world Globe, which reminds of the Telegraph

image of Mitchell Esajas and Jerry Affriyie, looking down

And it is not out of the blue, that I make this comparison

in regard to the Telegraph:

For the Telegraph has a bad reputation in the past, having

collaborated with the nazi German occupation in the

Netherlands in the Second World War!

See under note 42 an antisemitic article in the Telegraph

from 1942.

I quote a passage [first in Dutch]

Jood is en blijft Duitsland’s vijand, of hij nu uit

Portugal, of kersvers uit Jeruzalem, al dan niet voorzien

van een Nederlandse pas of identiteiotskaart, hier verzeild is geraakt’

Translated In English:

”Jew is and remains the enemy of Germany, whether he

set foot in the Netherlands, coming from Portugal, or

newly arrived from Jerusalem, whether or not

in the possession of a Dutch passport or identity card.”

SO

Apparently, the Telegraph has learned nothing from the past……

FASCIST AGRESSION AGAINST PEACEFUL BLACK PETE

DEMONSTRATORS

The hateful article was only the beginning:

During the Entrance of Sinterklaas, which takes place in several

cities and towns [the National Entrance, which also is broadcasted

on TV, was in Zaanstad, North Holland], there were anti Black Pete

protests in at least 18 cities across the Netherlands and while the

Black Pete protesters were peaceful, a bunch of fascist thugs attacked

the protesters in several cities with eggs, bananas and beer cans and what was

still worse [and the reason why I call them ”fascist thugs”], some brought

Hitler salutes and uttered racist insults. [43]

You can see photo’s of the agressive fascist gangs at my article.

Especially in Eindhoven and Rotterdam, pro Pete gangs were very

agrressive. [44]

In Nijmegen en Zwolle,  anti Black Pete demonstrations were cancelled , after mayors said they could not guarantee protesters’ safety. [45]

These are very dangerous developments, because

succeeding in violence, although there were

arrests too [46] fascist thugs get confidence and

will enlarge their street operations, which

leads to as well more fascist power as intimidation

of their opponent.

And the very fascist streetoperations is a direct

threat to black migrants and other migrants’

of colour.

Combined with the two fascist political parties,

the PVV [Party for Freedom] of G Wilders and the Forum for Democracy of Thierry Baudet [47]

EPILOGUE

THE MANY FACES OF FASCISM

Evidently not all pro Black Pete supporters are racists, nor

are all pro Black Pete supporters, who attacked the Black Pete

supporters fascists.

Some indeed were ”asos” [anti socials], like prime minister Rutte stated. [48]

But that’s not the point here.

The whole thing lies in the fact, that fascists 

have made the Black Pete question to their cause,

because this seemingly ”innocent” Sinterklaas

Feast with Black Pete is an easy way to reach many

people, since the majority of the Dutch still valuates

”Zwarte Piet” [49]

So not only politically, but also by means of

a Feast, fascism gradually creeps into Dutch society.

Like a poison snake.

Fascism is:

Extreme, hierarchic State control with a dominant

Leader.

Exclusion of all people, who are ”foreign” and thus, according to fascists, don’t belong to

the ”Pure Nation [Pure ”race”, here of course

the ”white race”]”, whether they are Jews or black people.

Fascism stands for intimidation and terror and that was exactly what fascists did with the attacks on

peaceful Black Pete protesters!

And fascism is always seeking for a scapegoat,

an ”enemy”, who operates inside the ”Pure Nation”

as a sort of fifth colonne. [50]

And what suits Dutch white [of course there is fascism in other parts of the world too with different ”scapegoats”] facists better than pick up black people and other people of colour, who are already being discriminated and often treated as secondhand civilians.

And the best of it:

In order to win those Dutch people overr, who don’t want to

be openly racist, that socalled ”innocent Children’s

Feast ”Sinterklaas’is the best way to attack black people, since the most Black Pete protesters are black

[although there are many white allies to in

the fight against Zwarte Piet]

So that explains the sudden fascist interest in

Black Pete.

But there is more to worry about than the link

fascism-Zwarte Piet, since almost certainly

Zwarte Piet is going to dissapear.

Because fascism is multitasking!

Directed against refugees [who mostly are black

or of colour], black people and people of colour

in general, Jews [although somewhat hidden because of

the past], Roma [”gypsies” a pejorative term for Roma]

But they are also anti EU ,anti the governmental ”elite’

and against the detoriation of the health services in

the Netherrlands.

And that seeming diversity, sometimes with 

some thruth in it [as their objections against the

governmental elite and their seeming worries

about the detoriation of the health services in

the Netherlands]

But the binding element is their racist hatred and

extreme law and order mentality.

To fight fascism in word and deed, that is

the task that lie ahead of us.

Before it is too late.

Astrid Essed

NOTES

WIKIPEDIA

ZWARTE PIET [TEXT IN ENGLISH]

[40]

THE TELEGRAPH ARTICLE [IN DUTCH]

”HET GEVAAR VAN EEN RADICALE AGENDA”

[IN ENGLISH]

”THE DANGER OF A RADICAL AGENDA”

[41]

WATCH THE SINISTER PHOTO OF THE TWO

LEADERS OF KICK OUT ZWARTE PIET, MITCHELL

ESAJAS AND JERRY AFRIYIE, LOOKING DOWN

ON THE PEACEFUL NETHERLANDS WITH THE MILLS….

SEE ALSO THE PHOTO’S AT MY ARTICLE

Portugal, of kersvers uit Jeruzalem, al dan niet voorzien

van een Nederlandse pas of identiteiotskaart, hier verzeild is geraakt”

TRANSLATED IN ENGLISH:

”Jew is and remains the enemy of Germany, whether he

set foot in the Netherlands, coming from Portugal, or

newly arrived from Jerusalem, whether or not

in the possession of a Dutch passport or identity card.”