An introduction in the commotion around 'Zwarte Piet'

Since the end of October 2013 the well-known personage 'Zwarte Piet' is being questioned especially in the Netherlands, but also in other countries.

The Jamaican Verene Shepard, chair of the VN commission, is doing research about the 'Zware Piet'. The workgroup of the VN cannot understand why the Dutch public keeps on repeating the slavery with the 'Sinterklaas' party. According to the workgroup of the VN that the Sinterklaas party has to end in the 21^st century. These statements have caused many fuss in the Netherlands .

One day after the statements of the VN workgroup a petition, 'the Pietitie', to make a statement that Zwarte Piet has to stay has been made by Dutch people on Facebook and reached more than one million people in one day. Since there live a lot of black immigrants in the Netherlands, they feel attacked by the 'Zwarte Piet' and are therefore demonstrating against the Zwarte Piet. At the moment the discussion is still going on if the 'Zwarte Piet' has to be removed from the 'Sinterklaas' party.

The two main affected publics in this topic are the Dutch people and the black people who live in the Netherlands or another country and are feeling discriminated by the Zwarte Piet.

On the one hand there are the Dutch people who feel that the Zwarte Piet is just a contribution to the tradition of celebrating the Sinterklaas party . The Dutch society feels that the Sinterklaas party is especially for children and that there are no racist meanings involved. The Dutch society reacts on the statements of the workgroup of the VN with a petition as mentioned before. Next to that people are organising demonstrations in the Netherlands to show their support to the conservation of the Zwarte Piet.

On the other hand we have we have the black people who state that the Zwarte Piet is a racist figure. The black people have the feeling that they are being stereotyped with the Zwarte Piet. A father with a daughter out of Rwanda mentions that his daughter has been called Zwarte Piet by other children because she looked like it. The deep dark skin, golden earrings, frizzy hair and thick red lips are examples of this stereotyping. Next to that the Zwarte Piet is submissive to the 'Sinterklaas' which contributes to reminding of the slavery time. A lot of black people cannot understand how the Dutch people can celebrate a party with a public figure like Zwarte Piet.

What is your opinion about Zwarte Piet?

Surprise!

Yes, it is THAT time of the year! The Zwarte Pieten are already leaving surprises for those who put their shoe next to the chimney! If we would not have zwarte piet, we would not have a nice present in our shoe.. 

New logo for the movement

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