Sylvana Simons is a chamber member of the political movement called ‘’DENK’’. She has a gigantic hate against the Dutch celebration called Saint Nicolas. Saint Nicolas is has been a traditional Dutch and Belgian celebration for decades. On the 5th of December, Saint Nicolas goes around every house in the Netherlands and gives presents. Obviously he can’t do he job alone. So he gets help from his servants called ‘’Black Piet’’. The problem right here is that Dutch immigrants, especially black immigrants, find this racist just like Sylvana Simons. A man from Amsterdam created a video as Sylvana Simons is showed as a Black Piet and a naked African woman. Also her head is cut and pasted into members of the Ku Klux Klan. Tunahan Kuzu announced that he is worrying about the safety of Sylvana Simons.
The People involved in this case are the people that ere against Black Piet and the people that want to celebrate it how they used to. Also Sylvana Simons is involved and Tunahan Kuzu as well, as he mentioned that Sylvana Simons should get protection.
The debate on Black Piet has is been going on for quite a few years now, and as the annual celebration is almost here yet, I thought this would be a good social problem. In my honest opinion, I don’t really mind what is going to happen to Black Piet. Whether he gets abolished or not. Still, making such a video where your showing a certain person is showed as part of the Ku Klux Klan and a naked African woman, is absolutely unacceptable and it is crazy that someone needs protection for being against Black Piet. There are some racist parts added to Saint Nicolas, but that was a long time ago. The children love the celebration and they don’t even know about slavery. They have also been learned that Black Piet is Black because he goes through the chimney. What will these children think when there is no Black Piet anymore, what happened to them being Black because of the chimneys? On the other hand, Why would it bother the children that the Black Piet changed their skin colour, but a really long lasting tradition will be changed. I could see why the Black people living in the Netherlands would want to change Black Piet. It reminds them to slavery which it does in my opinion as well when you have a think about it. These people don’t want to be remembered of how they were treated, all because of skin colour. So what do you think? Should Black Piet be abolished?
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