After 15 years, Dutch anti-blackface group declares victory

The foreman of action group Kick Out Zwarte Piet, Jerry Afriyie, right, addresses the bystanders during protest against Black Pete, the traditional helper of Sinterklaas, the Dutch version of Santa Claus, in Breda, Netherlands, Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)

Amsterdam, Netherlands -- Cherished Christmas tradition for some, profoundly insulting for others, the Dutch character “Black Pete,” a servant who helps Santa Claus distribute presents, has divided opinion in The Netherlands for decades.

Until recently, Santa’s arrival on the eve of Saint Nicolas Day (December 5) -- a major Yuletide celebration for the Dutch -- was marked by many people dressing up as Black Pete, complete with blacked-out faces and often afro wigs, creole earrings and make-up to plump out lips.

Stung by the caricature that harks back to Dutch colonial times, Jerry Afriyie founded the “Kick Out Black Pete” (KOZP) movement in 2010 to fight racism and is now wrapping up with the battle won.

“Around this time of the year, you would pass hundreds of Black Petes (Zwarte Piet in Dutch), hundreds of white people in blackface. Today, it is different,” he told AFP.

“Even small children are correcting me. When I say ‘Zwarte Piet,’ they say ‘Piet,’ added the 44-year-old poet in an interview in Amsterdam.

In 2010, Afriyie’s foundation “Nederlands Wordt Beter” (“The Netherlands is improving”) set three objectives.

They wanted Dutch colonial history, heavily dependent on slavery, taught in schools, an annual commemoration for the victims and Black Pete to get the boot.

KOZP activists organized peaceful protests whenever Santa came to town with Black Petes in tow. Some were pelted with eggs or even fireworks by Black Pete backers.

The movement hit global headlines, tarnishing the country’s reputation for tolerance, and reached new heights amid the 2020 “Black Lives Matter” protests.

Then Prime Minister Mark Rutte -- who had said for years that “Black Pete is just black” -- urged the tradition to end.

‘This is not normal’

Afriyie explained that Black Pete was a figment of the imagination of Jan Schenkman, who popularized the story of Santa Claus in the Netherlands.

Black Pete is “actually a black servant. He (Schenkman) himself said it. It’s a black servant serving a white master,” said Afriyie.

“And I think that in 2025, it’s uncalled for.”

The movement’s goal was to “de-normalize” Black Pete and the blackface tradition, said Afriyie.

“It was as normal as Dutch pancakes. And we felt like, hey, this is not normal. It’s hurting people. A lot of children feel insecure,” he said.

KOZP has been so successful in persuading organizers -- often municipal officials -- to make the Santa arrival inclusive that it held no protests this year.

According to an Ipsos survey, the percentage of Dutch wanting to maintain the tradition has dropped to 38 percent, compared to 65 percent in 2016.

Sporting a “modern Pete” outfit of a long purple wig, spangles and a face lightly dusted with soot, Gipsy Peters told AFP: “It’s good to keep traditions alive but we can adjust them a little.”

“It should be about children and not about colour or something,” said the 35-year-old, who works in a school.

‘It’s not about racism’

However, not everyone agrees and maintaining the Black Pete tradition has become a rallying cry for far-right leader Geert Wilders among others.

Several activists in a recent anti-immigration rally in The Hague dressed in the “traditional” Black Pete outfit.

Away from official celebrations, many Dutch still apply blackface as part of the costume.

Jaimy Sanders, 30, who works in a plumbing firm, told AFP: “It’s not about racism. It’s about fun for the children.”

“And I really don’t care if they’re purple, green or whatever colour. As long as we can talk about the children and not the adults who make such a big deal of it.”

Afriyie said much progress had been made, although the war against racism was not won in the Netherlands, still wrestling with its colonial past.

“You have to understand, being a black person in the Netherlands, we have seen it all,” he said.

“I think that this country has made a huge step in fighting racism. But we are not there yet.”

“And it’s good to hold the country accountable for the remaining fight that needs to be fought instead of resting it on the shoulders of a few.”

By Stéphanie Hamel, AFP