Dear Anti-Racist Parent:
Here’s the scenario: My husband and I are white. We have five kids, two of whom are black. When our first three kids went through kindergarten they took part in a unit about how different cultures celebrate Christmas. It was interesting and insightful but one thing didn’t sit well with me. I wasn’t sure why but I felt uncomfortable. In Holland, Sinterklaas is celebrated on December 5th. Sinterklaas is a Father Christmas-like figure who comes to children’s houses with his sidekick, Black Peter. So on Dec. 5, in the classroom, Sinterklaas came and visited the kids. One of the parents dressed up in the traditional Sinterklaas costume while another acted out Black Peter. In all three years that I had kids in kindergarten, the person who acted out Black Peter was a white person with black shoe polish on their face and hands. Apparently this is how it’s usually done. Now for my question…this year our kindergartener is one of our black kids. She happens to be the only black child in her class (although the school itself is very multi-cultural). She’s also the only one with glasses and she’s very aware of being, in her words, “different than everybody else.” Is this tradition going to be uncomfortable for her? Does it have racist undertones? Or am I merely being an over-protective parent? (I don’t think it’s the latter…I think just the fact of being a transracial parent automatically means questioning more than I ever did before.)
Denise
From the Editor:
I had only heard a little about Black Pete or Zwarte Piet and what I remembered wasn’t good. So, I checked out Wikipedia. Based on this description, I would say that this tradition is indeed race biased and would certainly make me uncomfortable as a person of color, especially one who is the “only” in my environment. But it’s not just about black children being hurt. Children of other races shouldn’t be exposed to this either. What does it teach them about their black schoolmates? Black Pete is alternately described as a devil, a slave, and a servant, a mean and mischievous mythical character. All these incarnations attach negative attributes to blackness. I won’t even get into the blackface, which adds a further element of offensiveness.
Frankly, I’m amazed that no other parent has complained and that this has continued for several years. Good for you for asking the question. I urge you to speak to your child’s teacher or the principal about this. This shouldn’t be happening in a kindergarten class.
Readers, what do you say? Denise adds: Black Pete is not portrayed in the classroom as a devil or a slave. He’s acted out as a silly, trouble-making character, meant for the kids to get a kick out of. So I guess I wouldn’t say Black Pete in this setting attaches negative attributes to blackness. But does that mean it’s okay to include him in the classroom? Are we at liberty to change negative traditions any old way we want just so we feel more comfortable with them? Personally I think not but I know others would disagree. Could you comment on that so I have an idea of what to lay on the table when I talk to the teacher and principal? To be honest, I’m most concerned about the black face. I too find it offensive…I wouldn’t want someone to portray me using white shoe polish.
Tami
As a child of Dutch immigrants I went to a Canadian school where all the kids shared Dutch heritage. SinterKlass and BlackPete came to our school every year, BlackPete being a black shoepolished white person. We were told jokingly that if we were bad BlackPete would take us away in his sack, which he always carried. I remember kids crying cause they were scared of him. That was 24 years ago. My extended family are mostly Dutch Canadian and they still celebrate SinterKlass, but BlackPete hasn’t been part of that tradition for over twenty years so that my nephews and nieces don’t even know who he is. Ask the school to celebrate SinterKlass and leave the shoepolish at home.
While not being portrayed as a slave is it really better to portray him as a silly trouble maker? I see them as equally negative reflections on blackness. You obviously can’t change the existence of Black Pete in Dutch history but you can openly discuss why this is such a horrible negative character. Your line about white shoe polish is very powerful. Use it.
My friend is Dutch and she has in no way represented Black Pete in this way. She also has a transracial child and he also is a part of their family traditions (and cultural) to dress this way. She told me the reason he is “black” is that he is the one that goes up and down the chimney and he has soot on him. She is in no way racist or would condone such actions and has shared with me the cultural tradition because my ancestory is Dutch.
I will ask her again, but I was not told this representation at all; it is due to soot that he is black and it is not intended to be blackface.
My brother used to live in Holland and was quite surprised the first Christmas he was there to have schoolchildren stopping him and yelling “Swart Piet” and then running away. Perhaps this tradition did start in reference to sooty fireplaces, but I suspect that sometime after the enslavement of African people it was easily conflated with portrayals of blackness as evil/wrong. You can’t just wipe that away by having BlackPete be “silly”. (which too my mind is a bit too close to being portrayed as a buffoon, which has its own racist history)
If I found out my child’s school was doing this I would be very offended.
I grew up in Holland. We always celebrated Sinterklaas, and loved the zwarte pieten. I never thought anything about them being black, or somehow being less than us. I just thought Sinterklaas came from a country with a lot of black people, and that’s why he brought them as helpers. The zwarte pieten were always smart, crafty, talented etc.
Now, with my “grown-up”, “sensitive” mind, I agree that it might be seen to some as racist. As a child it never occurred to me. The tradition in Holland is now to have black and white Petes, which they do to avoid racial problems. I think what we need to realize that the tradition was started a LONG time ago, before racial awareness, or equality. Now that we are smarter, we can make smarter choices and change the traditions a bit.
One, I hope no one is still doing blackface characters. Two, I hope anyone who is, isn’t using SHOE POLISH to darken his skin. Cheap stage make up is probably easier to find these days than shoe polish and a whole lot safer.
From Wikipedia:
“Shoe polish contains chemicals which can be absorbed through the skin, or inhaled. When handling shoe polish, one should ideally wear gloves, and stay in a well-ventilated area. Shoe polish should be kept out of reach of children and animals. It can stain the skin for a protracted period of time, and will cause irritation to the eye if there is direct contact.”
Heck if you’ve got someone who doesn’t understand how racist blackface is, you could sell them on stopping by emphasizing the toxicity of shoe polish.
Is the tradition going to be uncomfortable for her, as the only black child? Yes! Don’t let them do that to her! And I hope you are making sure she has lots of folks in her life that look like her.
But back to your question: I remember as a kid in Germany, Black Peter was depicted as a white guy wearing all black with a sooty hood over his head. If you were bad, he would put coal in your shoe instead of the oranges and chocolate that Nikolaus brought on Dec. 6. I remember hearing that he would take really naughty kids away in his sack. I never saw any blackface or a depiction that he was of African descent. If that was the tradition, I guess people got a clue and stopped doing it that way before I came along. Having said that, if blackface were used in my child’s classroom in ANY context I would be upset!
As for the traditions, we still do sweets in the shoes on Dec. 6 and we have a fake piece of coal for a joke, but I have never talked to my child about der schwarze Peter. I guess I didn’t want to scare her. He was no buffoon in the tradition I knew, he was scary, like Struwelpeter (another traditional figure I’m happy to let go of).
If the school is going to do it anyway despite your objections, make sure you talk it all over with your child first, and that you are there, if possible, just to be there for her.
My first reaction to reading this is that I feel very sorry for your daughter. It’s a horrible thing for a child to have to witness and it’s only made worse by being the only Black child in her class in this “very multi-cultural” school. I think this experience would be much more than uncomfortable for your daughter- it’s damaging to har as well as all the kids in the class.
Baffooning black people isn’t harmless.
As a former teacher I loved to teach about the traditions of various countries because I felt it was important for my children to learn about all different types of places and cultures. I don’t know if I ever talked about black pete but if I had it would have been in a cultural this is something that people in this country did or do to celebrate a holiday. In saying that, do they act out every single culture that they study or just this one? If it is only this one I would start by asking the teacher why they selected this one. Then I would mention exactly what you said in your letter. I don’t think the teacher has really thought about why they do what they do but rather this is what they have always done and thats why they do it.
I agree it isn’t appropiate for this character to portray silliness either as it still reflects a negative image of black people. My son’s black teacher last year portrayed a silly character in a schoolplay which made me feel uncomfortable as my son is the only black child in the school and yes he has had racist remarks made to him some of which was based on chocolate milk. We also attended a Halloween party where the karate instructor had dressed up as black person and he lost our business.
I agree with cathie. A Dutch family owns a veggie market in our area. I was shopping there near Christmas, and who pops in but Sinterklaas, and Black Peter. BP had a long wicker ‘spanking pole’. In this case it was a white woman, dressed up more like a big black spider. Even her braids were sticking out to the side. I’m not sure if this was an attempt to be more sensitive or not. Honestly, I still don’t quite know what to think about it, but I’m glad I didn’t have kids with me to explain Black Peter.
I’m of German descent, and I too remember being told that Black Peter was black from the chimneys as well. From my point of view I don’t see how Santa needs a side-kick, whether he is goofy or nasty. I do think even the chimney explanation does perpetuate the dark = less than etc. stereotype.
If the character is simply supposed to be a silly troublemaker or even a just craft, then what’s the point of intentionally making him black?
It’s interesting to hear completely different understandings of the exact same tradition. Just considering the fact that he’s normally portrayed by a white kid in black face then it’s difficult NOT to see the whole concept as racist.
A quick google produced this article.
http://www.ferris.edu/news/jimcrow/question/jan05/
It does not matter that the tradition is not *intended* to portray blackface, i.e. mocking black people. Intent is not the issue.
Black Peter uses a “dark” character to demonstrate mockable characteristics, a target for laughter and making fun. It is the negative contrast to the positive of Sinterklass.
And when a little girl and Black Peter are the two darkest things in the room, for good or ill (likely ill) eyes will drift between them, and connections will be made.
And whether there is a little black girl in the room or not, the association of blackness and darkness as a target for laughter and derision will certainly stay with these kids.
My husband is Dutch and Zwarte Piet has long been part of his family’s Sinterklaas traditions. I find the depictions to be highly offensive and have discussed it with my in-laws. They stand firm that Zwarte Piet is black from the soot in the chimney. I find it odd, then, that he is completely painted black, not smudged with soot, and that often he has wide red lips painted on, as well as big gold earrings. We received a book of Sinterklaas songs where nearly every page has a Zwarte Piet looking crafty and with, what I feel, are very racist stereotypes. Needless to say, that book immediately dissapeared.
I have not been able to convince the Dutch people in my life that this portrayal is problematic and hurtful. For now, I’m just trying to keep Zwarte Piet out of our family Sinterklaas traditions.
I guess I would say that there are a lot of world traditions that probably should not be immulated (e.g. caste systems, female circumcision) and I would add “Bad Peter” to that list.
I think the character itself, which for the Dutch, may just be seen as an evil, grinch like character, here in the US, where children are inundated in their homes, on tv, media, books, and even classrooms with postive and sometimes negative depictions of people of color that this would add more fuel to the fire.
I think you have to consider not just your child, but the other children in the classroom when doing these things.
That is completely unacceptable and you should not hesitate to speak up. The Black Pete you describe sounds essentially like a Sambo caricature. Black face and deep seeded steroetypes of Black people have no place in the classroom. Your child, who might not be aware of what is going on now will one day.
My advice: Ask the school to stop the Black Pete crap. If they say no, keep your child home that day (if possible – maybe a family member could babysit if you cannot get off work?) and write letters to your local newspaper, other blogs, whatever you can do. If more public scrutiny was on this practice it would probably not still be happening.
All too often, from my personal experience, negative characteristics are attached to ‘minorities’ and passed off as innocuous remarks with no ill-intent. The fact that it’s a traditional story doesn’t make it okay. Traditional stories are special and important to pass on but I do think it’s acceptable to omit offensive parts. I agree with other commentors that suggest this Black Pete character be left out altogether or at least be portrayed accurately as a person with dabs of soot on their face. The fact that a parent felt comfortable going to a classroom of young children with shoe polish on their face is absolutely HORRIFIC!!!!!!! Shameful really. Children pick up these negative messages and as the only bi-racial Asian child in her classroom, I would not want my daughter to be subjected to a charicature of Chinese people with slanty eyes and buck teeth.
if it’s meant to be soot, then have them dress up as a chimney sweep, ala Mary Poppins.
Simply reading the letter, and the parent even having to ASK if this would be offensive just sent my jaw to the floor.
To the floor.
This should be outlawed in a major way.
I agree with everyone who is pointing out that a “silly, trouble-making character, meant for the kids to get a kick out of” is rather dangerous by itself But could it be possible to see if the school could help turn “Black Pete” into a positive, rather than a negative character? Instead of being a Sambo side-kick, could he be a smart, clever child who not only helps Santa but in SMARTER than Santa? Children love it when kids are smarter than adults, and Black Pete could be used to humerously upstage Santa himself. If could keep the tradition, but subvert it with a positive spin.
Obviously, this could only truly be positive if an actually dark-skinned person could be found to play the role. The black-face itself turns the entire act into an offensive farce, and for that reason alone should be discouraged.
Hi, Chris:
I think your intentions are admirable, but I think having selecting a black child to star in this role can be just as bad. Case in point: I was always the girl selected to play Harriet Tubman in yearly plays. That’s too much of a politcal statement for an elementary child to undertake, especially not knowing the history and ramifications.
There are some things which can definitely be turned on their heads and made postive, but I think that level of intellectualism is best left for parents, or at least educated teens. Young children really grasp concepts at more basic levels.
Well, the connection is meant to be that the Sint lives in Spain and Zwarte Piet is a Moor. He’s not at all depicted as evil in the media here (moved to Amsterdam from Boston 15 years ago), but more as a buffoon.
Keep in mind as well that wearing blackface doesn’t have anywhere near as bad historical connotations here as it does in the US.
Funnily, the tradition bugs me more than it does my half-Jamaican wife. She’s got a Zwarte Piet costume, and we like to screw with kid’s minds by making out in public while she’s wearing it… (:
Wendy, your Dutch friend is giving you the cleaned up description of Zwarte Piet. I am an black American currently living as an expat in Holland and I’ve done some research on this disturbing character. Piet, when originally introduced in the mid 1800′s, was a slave. Later stories have him liberated by Sinterklaas and then Piet happily serving Sinterklaas as a free servant. The chimney story has come about in recent years as the Dutch try to hold on to this offensive character while at the same time keep their tolerant image in tact.
And Derek,
Blackface has a negative connotation everywhere. Read the history of Zwarte Piet and you will see how closely he aligns with negative black characters in America such as Sambo and Steppen Fetchit. BTW, in minstrel shows, the blackfaced character was seen as a buffoon so your defense of Zwarte Piet as more of a buffoon as opposed to evil, doesn’t make less offense.
Woody, your research has been of a very poor quality, the point you make about him being introduced AS a slave is utterly false, the rare depicion of him as a slave was much later and out of canon. Nevertheless it is quite possible that the at first unnamed helper of colour, was seen or was even intended to be seen as a slave, the point is that his status was originally of no importance and thus not determined.
Without Zwarte Piet Sinterklaas has lost its attraction, they belong together like Batman and Robin, like Tom and Jerry. They are eachother’s opposites and companions. Life and death, Life and Afterlife, Black and white, young and old, Night sky and snow, black fertile earth and clouded skies, trousers and dress, androgyn and male, modern and ancient, smart and wise, foolish and senile, all seeing and all knowing.
Who are you to proclaim this celebrated sharing spirit of joy, rebellion, youth, freshness, change and fertility an offensive character?
That said, if we take in consideration that if we would describe him as a human being, he is generally (though not originally) seen as a rather young man of African rather than Mediterranean origin. The Dutch tradition of depiction of people with that profile has indeed been strongly influenced by the products of the flourishing blackface/Sambo culture in the United States of America, look at Piet’s Sjors and Sjimmie for instance. I have not read anything about excuses made by Yankees to the Dutchies for that…
That said if you base your opinion to a great degree on the way many Zwarte Piet impersonators do their part I can feel to a great degree you are right about the way he is often portrayed as “a Sambo”. Really sickening.
Zwarte Piet played well is more of a Fool, in the meaning of Jester, than a buffoon.
Nevertheless, impersonating a dead bishop and an assistent with a blackened face can indeed be quite problematic for a demonstration (I mean the main character is a dead bishop from Turkey, whose remains are said to be in Italy, but who is living in Spain as well as dwelling at the same time in heaven, the patron saint of thieves, prostitutes…), so I would rather say, that it would be wiser to protest against this, formally on the grounds that it IS not related AT ALL to the way Dutchies celebrate Christmas .
Kohana,
the real reason for the all black facial make up is that one is not supposed to be recognized, so if possible at all, all skin features have to disappear under the make up, lips disguised by lipstick, all hair under the wig, body shape hidden by the costume.
The similarity to black face, is more or less a by product.
The “fun” is probably in things like not being recognized by your own mother and all. Sort of becoming really somebody else, not my kind of thing either.