Language
EnglishSummary
In this thought-provoking and insightful documentary, we delve into the highly controversial topic of Black Pete and its impact on Dutch culture. For years, the tradition of Black Pete has been a source of intense debate, with many arguing that it is a deeply racist caricature of black people, while others claim it is a harmless cultural tradition. By interviewing the Dutch public, we explore if it has been used to perpetuate racist stereotypes or if foreigners should be more understanding.
Countries
City
Utrecht, The Netherlands
Why this story is important
This story is important due to my initial concerns about Dutch culture after learning about the celebration of Saint Nicholas. After being in the Netherlands, I concluded that Dutch people are generally lovely and friendly - however, I still wanted to see why a celebration that resembled heavily to blackface, was still being practised in this annual celebration. It is a highly controversial issue in the Netherlands and has sparked important discussions about Dutch cultural identity, the legacy of colonialism, and the need to challenge harmful traditions.
The hope is that the audience gains a deeper understanding of cultural sensitivity's importance and harmful stereotypes' impact on marginalised communities, as well as the importance of engaging in respectful dialogue and debate. The documentary may inspire viewers to think critically about their beliefs and biases and consider how they can work towards creating a more just and equitable society.
The hope is that the audience gains a deeper understanding of cultural sensitivity's importance and harmful stereotypes' impact on marginalised communities, as well as the importance of engaging in respectful dialogue and debate. The documentary may inspire viewers to think critically about their beliefs and biases and consider how they can work towards creating a more just and equitable society.
How this story was created
The methodology to create the story came from doing extensive research on the topic of Black Pete - a helper of Saint Nicholas which is celebrated every November in the Netherlands. We then proceeded to go out to the public to ask for individual opinions and beliefs. We highlighted and summarised any trends that we came across throughout the documentary.
References
Saint Nicholas [Wikipedia] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas_(European_folklore)
Zwarte Piet [Wikipedia] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet
Companions of Saint Nicholas - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companions_of_Saint_Nicholas
Kick Out Zwarte Piet [Instagram] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas_(European_folklore)
Zwarte Piet [Wikipedia] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet
Companions of Saint Nicholas - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companions_of_Saint_Nicholas
Kick Out Zwarte Piet [Instagram] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas_(European_folklore)
This story is participating to these calls
This story is part of this specific projects
- Future
- Memories Across Europe
- YoMem - Young Messengers of European Memory
- MY EUROPE - Stories of belonging to Europe; European macro and micro stories; Learning from diversity.
- SOCIAL CHANGE STORIES IN EUROPE - Stories for rights and democracy in Europe.
- Digit MID
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