Kick Out Zwarte Piet: A Decade of Anti-Racism and Cultural Debate in the Netherlands

This exhibition delves into the history of the 'Zwarte Piet Is Racism' campaign, which began in November 2011, highlighting the 2021 anniversary of its launch and the arrests of its initiators. It explores the broader social movement sparked by the campaign, which reignited the debate on the Sinterklaas tradition and challenged institutional racism in the Netherlands.

The 'Kick Out Zwarte Piet' content focuses on the decade-long campaign that began in November 2011, marking its significant anniversary in 2021. It highlights the pivotal moment of the arrest of Jerry Afriyie & Quinsy Gario during the Sinterklaas entry in Dordrecht, an event that went viral and served as a catalyst for a wider social movement. This movement not only reignited the national debate surrounding the Sinterklaas tradition but also brought the issues of institutional and anti-black racism in the Netherlands to the forefront. The page also touches upon a deeper, often overlooked history of resistance against Zwarte Piet and racism in the country. Furthermore, the page references a historical group, 'Zwarte Piet = Zwart Verdriet' (Black Pete is Black Sorrow), which actively protested against Zwarte Piet since the 1930s, notably organizing demonstrations and 'anti-racist Sinterklaas parties' in the 1990s. The group collected signatures in 1997 for a ban on Zwarte Piet, articulating their views that the Zwarte Piet figure embodied racist stereotypes and perpetuated a master-slave dynamic. Their statement powerfully critiques the caricature and its role in maintaining racist perceptions. The page also points to a future exhibition, 'Facing Blackness,' in spring 2022, which will further explore the history of image formation about Black people in the Netherlands and resistance against it.