We can never forget that we’re from the islands because we are constantly reminded of it
Why is it so hard to understand that CENTURIES of European countries practicing and exporting white supremacy on a global scale has resulted in a social, economic and political system that has racism deeply inbedded into its roots? There was NEVER any effort to work away racism, definitely not here in the Netherlands, which still has 6 colonies it deliberately neglects into ruin. There was never an attempt to PROPERLY educate people about their white supremacist history and how it lives in our system today.
Dutch people barely know which colonies there are in the kingdom, and what the cultures and languages are, and it’s shameful to say the least. I never expected to have to explain so many fucking times which colonised country I came from, what my own language is and why I speak Dutch “so well”. YOU SHOULD FUCKING KNOW THAT. But you don’t. Why do you think that is?
The Netherlands, as well as other European countries, are in desperate need of proper anti-racist/anti-colonialist education. I constantly need to explain the most basic of things to racists who swear they aren’t racist, because here in the “tolerant” country of the Netherlands, being called racist is so much worse than actually being one.
If this made you uncomfortable, good. It should. Because black people and other non-white people have to live in discomfort and fear their whole fucking lives because of their looks and heritage. We can never forget that we’re black. We can never forget that we’re from the islands because we are constantly reminded of it. White people get their skin pointed at when talking about systemic racism once, and they lose their shit. We celebrate blackface every year. Black people are constantly called Zwarte Piet as an insult and then we get national gaslighting on how it has nothing to do with race. The fucking prime minister lied on international tv how we “love” it on the islands because we’re so black that we don’t need to use the black mask. Imagine running a kingdom and still be that ignorant. You don’t have to imagine it because that’s how it’s always been.
The Netherlands has historically ensured that black people were worse off on the islands. It has continuously neglected the islands and then blaming us for our own problems. Things obviously aren’t perfect there, but to have massively profited from the islands, tactically set them up for ruin and NEVER offer reparations for the centuries of horror you have inflicted on us is standard white supremacy. Now the islands are suffering during this corona crisis and the lack of action from the Dutch government is infuriating, but not surprising.
Why is it so difficult to understand and see? Or is it because you don’t want to see? Is the discomfort too much to accept that this country is racist? Or that you may have racist tendencies? It’s never too late to unlearn what you have been raised to think and do. But goddamn open your eyes, ears and heart, and listen, and consider that maybe what thousands of people protesting on the streets are saying isn’t “exaggeration”. End rant.
Denzel Ignacia
(This rant was first published on his Facebook-page.)