Today we made a major step towards a more inclusive and equal society in the Netherlands as the judge ruled that the national Blackface tradition of the Netherlands is a negative stereotype of black people. Congratulations to all who have been and still are involved in the struggle against Black Pete, institutional racism and inequality. Just a few days a go a few activists dressed in black intervened during the Keti koti memorial and to demand to be respected as equal Dutch citizens. We translated their speech, it seems their words were prophetic: Keti koti protest speech: “Enough is enough, we demand to be respected as equal citizens!” A group of activists The official commemoration ceremony of Keti Koti, the commemoration of the abolition of slavery, was supplemented by an unknown action group dressed in black, with a message to the Dutch government and the black community: We stand here today with the utmost respect and reverence for our ancestors. We are here for Anton, Boni, Tula, Baron, Sophie, Joli-Coeur, Tata, Karpata, Toussaint, Nanny and the countless invisible fighters and victims of the Dutch wealth and prosperity. Minister Lodewijk Asscher represents the Dutch government, the same government that treats the black community without any respect, the government that does not want a national memorial, the government that neglects UN treaties and the government that does not care of about the pain and concerns of the black community. We are here today to prevent the Deputy Prime Minister of the Dutch government Lodewijk Asscher from offending our ancestors with empty promises. Especially not on this day that we commemorate their struggle and suffering. Only weak people would allow such humiliation. We are not weak. On July 1, 1863, slavery was officially abolished in the Dutch colonies, in practice it was abolished in 1873, the legacy is still visible. Everyday racism, discrimination and exclusion are the order of the day. Reflected structural inequality in the labor market and in educational institutions. The numbers do not lie and tell us the stories about school dropout, disadvantages on the labor market, about poverty, about administrators in schools and universities, a discriminating police force, about continuing reports of racial profiling and so on. In addition to these disadvantages, we still need to move forward in terms of law and politics. These figures are destructive, and lay a heavy burden on the shoulders of our community. We are proud of the generations who have fought this struggle for before us. Nothing less should be expected from our generation. Enough is enough,we are running out of patience. The current policies and legislation are not meant to change the status quo,they don’t work. The status quo consists of inequality inherited from the colonial era, we should not pass it on to our children, our Dutch children. Our generation is paving a new way. We will be an example for our descendants, as our African ancestors have been a mighty example for us. We know what justice is, we know what equal opportunities are and we know what needs to be repaired. Who are we waiting for to do this for us? The politicians do not take us seriously and don’t do anything for us. After years of protests, demonstrations and dialogue against Zwarte Piet, our Prime Minister Rutte still said: “Black Pete is Black, I cant change anything about it. After years of dialogue, protest and a lawsuit, the mayor of Amsterdam said:, Give Zwarte Piet another 10 years so we can get used to it. Just as the colonial government on July 1, 1863 decided that the enslaved people had to wait another 10 years for their real freedom. We have been waiting 151 years for justice and respect.The time of waiting is over. Today we demand it! Slavery and the Trans-Atlantic slave trade are acknowledged as a crime against humanity by the UN.Driven by an ideology infected with racism, exclusion and exploitation. The Netherlands should openly distance itself from it. How do you do that? Not just with words of regret and remorse, but also in deeds. And if the majority of the Netherlands is not able to fight for a harmonious society, we will do it ourselves. We must act decisively until the Netherlands takes the duty upon itself to pay as much attention to our shared history as it pays to other traumatic histories. Our generation will no longer be ran over, no longer will we be trampled upon. We won’t let the black community in the Netherlands down when they need us. All previous generations are watching how this generation paves the way for the next generation. A path to justice, a path to equal opportunities and a path to reparations. Commemorating and standing still is not enough to give back the respect and decency which we, the Netherlands, have lost through years of slavery and colonialism. We are tired of being treated like second-class citizens, we are tired of being an important matter only when the Netherlands finds us good enough. Now is the time to stand tall. Now is the time to stand up for ourselves. We write a new era. We are like any other Dutch citizen and we demand to be treated with the same respect. Until that is done, we do not allow Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk Asscher to speak here as a representative of the Dutch government. Enough is enough!
Posted on: Thu, 03 Jul 2014 13:05:59 +0000
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