#1 Talking about Racism in the Netherlands
Pointing Racism Out in the Netherlands Across Europe, the Netherlands is perceived as an open-minded and welcoming territory. The Dutch...
top of page
Home: Welcome
“Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned,
Until the color of a man’s skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes,
Until the basic human rights are guaranteed to all, without regard to race, […]
Until all Africans stand and speak as free beings, equal in the eyes of all men, as they are in the eyes of Heaven,
Until that day, the African continent will not know peace.”
Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, General Assembly, 1963
Home: Quote
HOW IT GOT STARTED
We are two students in the MA African Studies at Leiden University. As part of the course "Language and Communication in Africa", we decided to dedicate this website to the exploration of the debate on Zwarte Piet that has recently been re-activited on Twitter in 2019.
With this blog, we aim at identifying trends in the way Zwarte Piet is portrayed and debated online and at presenting how social media can contribute to the decolonization of such a tradition. We want to shine light on the ways the online and physical world are fundamentally intertwined.
Lastly, and most importantly, we intend at participating to the wider discussion on the skewed representation of Africa and Africans in Western culture and media. Zwarte Piet is a racist caricature which ought to be questioned.
Welcome to our blog - Enjoy our writing - Keep the debate going.
Home: About
Home: Video
Search
#2 Decolonizing the Zwarte Piet Tradition Online
The Zwarte Piet Debate On Social Media If large debates do arise on social media, what seems to especially attract the interest of people...
#3 The Dynamics of the Argumentation on Zwarte Piet
An exploration of the dynamics of the debate on Zwarte Piet on Twitter.
#4 The Digression Potential: A Case Study
On Twitter, a debate can often follow the path of a sub-debate that help the discussion to keep going.
#5 Twitter: an Educational Vocation?
The use of English is prevailing in the Zwarte Piet debate, as is the posting of educational tweets.
#6 The Importance of Visuals for the Zwarte Piet Debate
Visuals are essential to the process of online debates: they efficiently support a message.
#7 Towards the Decolonization of Zwarte Piet
The Zwarte Piet debate on Twitter is valuable and can actively participate in the decolonization of the tradition.
#8 Readings to go Beyond
A few readings to let our readers formalize their own opinion on Zwarte Piet and decolonization.
Home: Blog2
Home: Subscribe
bottom of page