black pete

  In the Netherlands, a holiday tradition is now accused of perpetuating a racist stereotype. The character of Zwarte Piet, or Black Pete,” originated in the 19th Century but has become a controversial figure in recent times. Black Pete’s origins are as murky as the reasoning for why the character exists, but some historians point […]

AMSTERDAM (AP) — A Facebook page seeking to preserve the “Black Pete” clowns in blackface who accompany St. Nicholas to the Netherlands during the holidays has become the fastest-growing Dutch-language page ever, receiving 1 million “likes” in a single day. The mushrooming popularity of the “Pete-ition” page reflects the depth of emotional attachment most Dutch […]

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Foreigners visiting the Netherlands in winter are often surprised to see that the Dutch version of St. Nicholas’ helpers have their faces painted black, wear Afro wigs and have thick red lips — in short, a racist caricature of a black person. The overwhelming majority of Dutch are fiercely devoted to the […]

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Foreigners visiting the Netherlands in winter are often surprised to see that the Dutch version of St. Nicholas’ helpers have their faces painted black, wear Afro wigs and have thick red lips — in short, a racist caricature of a black person. The overwhelming majority of Dutch are fiercely devoted to the […]