{"id":123231,"date":"2026-07-01T11:21:59","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T09:21:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/?p=123231"},"modified":"2026-07-01T11:53:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T09:53:42","slug":"wat-ik-vier-met-keti-koti-en-waarom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/2026\/07\/wat-ik-vier-met-keti-koti-en-waarom\/","title":{"rendered":"What I celebrate with Keti Koti and why"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2018Break the chains\u2019 we celebrate today, the moment slavery was abolished within the Dutch imperial borders. Quite a few white Dutch people feel rather uncomfortable about that. Sometimes I also hear people say that they themselves never owned slaves, never profited from slavery and therefore do not want to be held accountable for that legacy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is, of course, also a constant learning process. For everyone, even for types like myself, who truly held the conviction for a very long time that we understood it. Okay, you still make the occasional mistake, I once struggled with a hip-hop artist talking about \u2018white people\u2019 and whether I should correct them and if so, how, but real discomfort?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Marniix Gymnasium<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Until I had a very pleasant meeting with Charl Landvreugd a few months ago, I had never experienced real discomfort. Afterwards, I did. That's not Charl Landvreugd's fault. We also produced a lovely podcast together, inspired by his book (and dissertation) Dutch Afro Becomings, which was released at the end of March. You can find the podcast, which has since been downloaded over 30,000 times, here <a href=\"https:\/\/open.substack.com\/pub\/cultuurpers\/p\/wat-nederlandse-kunst-kleur-op-de?r=hpanp&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;showWelcomeOnShare=true\">listening<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During our preliminary conversation, it turned out we had practically been neighbours in Rotterdam. At least, he lived more or less next door to the school I attended, the Marnix Gymnasium on the Essenburgsingel (now the Henegouwerplein). He mentioned that it had been his childhood dream to go to that school. His CITO score was excellent, partly for that reason, but the primary school he attended didn't think the gymnasium was for him and strongly advised him to go to the nearby \u2018black\u2019 City College and do HAVO. This had to do with his background; the Marnix was a very white school in the early nineties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Motivation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The frustration that this caused motivated him: he \u2018stacked\u2019 courses until he could obtain doctorates from two international universities for his research into the typically Dutch way in which art of non-Western origin finds its place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And so there we sat, side by side. Charl, who has achieved a splendid position as head of research at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and is being mentioned as the next director of that prestigious institution, and myself, who spent eight years at the Marnix, because I sometimes didn't feel like going for good grades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Liberated?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Should I have been ashamed? Of course not: I was completely unaware of my privileges. With a bit of common sense and a good Cito score, in 1974 I could \u2018just\u2019 go to that (then) left-wing school with 200 pupils where a team of teachers was ready to help even the laziest or most hesitant get through. Just like my brothers and sister before me. Any other option wasn't even considered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Charl Landvreugd, that wasn't the case, because of his skin colour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Inequality in the Netherlands is so taken for granted, and it is so foolish to throw that in other people\u2019s faces. Am I to blame for the history of slavery? No, I am just as entitled to feel liberated from it. Provided I remain fully aware that the deep-rooted racism \u2013 of which slavery was a horrific manifestation \u2013 still leads, every single day, to marginalisation and oppression, which is still experienced on a daily basis by the people with whom you \u2013 sometimes \u2013 are allowed to sit at the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Liberation, yes, but we\u2019re not free yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/open.substack.com\/pub\/cultuurpers\/p\/wat-nederlandse-kunst-kleur-op-de?r=hpanp&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;showWelcomeOnShare=true\">https:\/\/open.substack.com\/pub\/cultuurpers\/p\/wat-nederlandse-kunst-kleur-op-de?r=hpanp&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;showWelcomeOnShare=true<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8216;Verbreek de ketens&#8217; vieren we vandaag, het moment dat de slavernij werd afgeschaft binnen de Nederlandse rijksgrenzen. Er zijn nogal wat witte Nederlanders die zich daar soort van ongemakkelijk bij voelen. Soms hoor ik ook mensen zeggen dat zij zelf nooit slaven hebben gehouden, nooit hebben geprofiteerd van slavernij en dus niet aangesproken willen worden [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":3,"activitypub_interaction_policy_quote":"anyone","activitypub_status":"federated","wpai_meta_description":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4757,16518,3,11687],"tags":[15001,4900],"class_list":["post-123231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-beeldende-kunst-2","category-featured","category-opinie","category-donatie-gevraagd","tag-keti-koti","tag-podcast"],"views":4110,"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":65518,"url":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/2020\/06\/maas-maakt-voorstelling-bij-keti-koti\/","url_meta":{"origin":123231,"position":0},"title":"MAAS makes performance at Keti Koti","author":"een van onze leden","date":"12 June 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"On Tuesday 30 June and Wednesday 1 July 2020, Aan tafel can be seen at the Maaspodium, Rotterdam, a performance on the history of slavery as part of Keti Koti. It is the third year in a row that Maas is trying to make this painful part of history palpable with...","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Alleen voor leden&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Alleen voor leden","link":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/genre\/service\/members-only\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Aan-tafel_theater-bij-Keti-Koti_Maas-theater-en-dans.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Aan-tafel_theater-bij-Keti-Koti_Maas-theater-en-dans.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Aan-tafel_theater-bij-Keti-Koti_Maas-theater-en-dans.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Aan-tafel_theater-bij-Keti-Koti_Maas-theater-en-dans.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Aan-tafel_theater-bij-Keti-Koti_Maas-theater-en-dans.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Aan-tafel_theater-bij-Keti-Koti_Maas-theater-en-dans.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":94350,"url":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/2024\/05\/plein-theater-presenteert-maand-voor-keti-koti-van-31-mei-t-m-27-juni-met-diverse-activiteiten-rondom-het-slavernijverleden-en-surinaamse-keuken\/","url_meta":{"origin":123231,"position":1},"title":"Plein Theater presents Month for Keti Koti from 31 May to 27 June with various activities around the slavery past and Surinamese cuisine.","author":"een van onze leden","date":"29 May 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Keti Koti month takes place annually in the month of June in the run-up to Keti Koti on 1 July. The month is dedicated to remembrance and reflection around the Netherlands' slavery past and its repercussions today.  Plein Theater in Amsterdam Oost, located next to the...","rel":"","context":"In &quot;PERSBERICHTEN&quot;","block_context":{"text":"PERSBERICHTEN","link":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/genre\/service\/persberichten\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"campagnebeeld: PaulinaMatusiak&EddyWenting | Plein Theater","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/kokenmetketikoti.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/kokenmetketikoti.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/kokenmetketikoti.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/kokenmetketikoti.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/kokenmetketikoti.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":90931,"url":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/2023\/06\/amsterdam-museum-gratis-toegankelijk-tijdens-keti-koti-weekend-1-en-2-juli\/","url_meta":{"origin":123231,"position":2},"title":"Amsterdam Museum freely accessible during Keti Koti weekend - 1 and 2 July","author":"een van onze leden","date":"12 June 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"As part of the Remembrance Year of Slavery, the Amsterdam Museum on the Amstel will open its doors free of charge the weekend of 1 and 2 July. Everyone, young and old, can visit the permanent collection and exhibitions this weekend and take part in various activities. These include free Heri Heri meals, guided tours, a concert in the garden, and children can...","rel":"","context":"In &quot;PERSBERICHTEN&quot;","block_context":{"text":"PERSBERICHTEN","link":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/genre\/service\/persberichten\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"De Maasdamme Collectie in het Amsterdam Museum aan de Amstel. Foto Amsterdam Museum, Inez Agnese","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/De-Maasdamme-Collectie-in-het-Amsterdam-Museum-aan-de-Amstel.-Foto-Amsterdam-Museum-Inez-Agnese-5-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/De-Maasdamme-Collectie-in-het-Amsterdam-Museum-aan-de-Amstel.-Foto-Amsterdam-Museum-Inez-Agnese-5-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/De-Maasdamme-Collectie-in-het-Amsterdam-Museum-aan-de-Amstel.-Foto-Amsterdam-Museum-Inez-Agnese-5-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/De-Maasdamme-Collectie-in-het-Amsterdam-Museum-aan-de-Amstel.-Foto-Amsterdam-Museum-Inez-Agnese-5-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/De-Maasdamme-Collectie-in-het-Amsterdam-Museum-aan-de-Amstel.-Foto-Amsterdam-Museum-Inez-Agnese-5-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/De-Maasdamme-Collectie-in-het-Amsterdam-Museum-aan-de-Amstel.-Foto-Amsterdam-Museum-Inez-Agnese-5-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":87924,"url":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/2022\/09\/ik-zeg-toch-sorry-theatervoorstelling-van-theatergroep-aluin-en-raymi-sambo-maakt-over-keti-koti-en-slavernijverleden-vanaf-eind-september-op-tournee\/","url_meta":{"origin":123231,"position":3},"title":"'I say sorry anyway' theatre production by Theatre Group Alum and Raymi Sambo Makes about Keti Koti and slavery past on tour from the end of September","author":"een van onze leden","date":"5 September 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"An apology, a theatre performance by Theatre Group Aluin and Raymi Sambo Maakt about Keti Koti, the day on which the (official) abolition of slavery is celebrated, will be shown in Dutch theatres from the end of September. In a time when more and more municipalities and organisations are openly apologising for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;ACTUEEL&quot;","block_context":{"text":"ACTUEEL","link":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/genre\/nieuws\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Ik-zeg-toch-sorry-Bart-Grietens-38.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Ik-zeg-toch-sorry-Bart-Grietens-38.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Ik-zeg-toch-sorry-Bart-Grietens-38.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Ik-zeg-toch-sorry-Bart-Grietens-38.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Ik-zeg-toch-sorry-Bart-Grietens-38.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":88172,"url":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/2022\/09\/ik-zeg-toch-sorry-maakt-meesterlijk-voelbaar-wat-een-waanzin-ons-slavernijverleden-is\/","url_meta":{"origin":123231,"position":4},"title":"'I Say Sorry' masterfully makes tangible what a madness our slavery past is.\u00a0\u00a0","author":"Wijbrand Schaap","date":"29 September 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Saying sorry seems difficult, if we're to believe the songs about it, and if we measure the time Dutch governments take to do it. But sorry is also very easy, when you consider how often you're not pushed aside in a queue for something after\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;ACTUEEL&quot;","block_context":{"text":"ACTUEEL","link":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/genre\/nieuws\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Sorry-09-%C2%A9-Sanne-Peper-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Sorry-09-%C2%A9-Sanne-Peper-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Sorry-09-%C2%A9-Sanne-Peper-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Sorry-09-%C2%A9-Sanne-Peper-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Sorry-09-%C2%A9-Sanne-Peper-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Sorry-09-%C2%A9-Sanne-Peper-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":70121,"url":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/2021\/06\/theatrale-installatie-met-visie-op-de-actualiteit-vanuit-het-marrons-perspectief-deze-zomer-in-plein-theater\/","url_meta":{"origin":123231,"position":5},"title":"Theatrical installation looking at current events from the Maroons' perspective, this summer at Plein Theatre","author":"een van onze leden","date":"7 June 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Swart Gat\/ Golden Age (Dunguu olo - katibo-ten) is a theatrical installation about Amsterdam's slavery past and Maroon culture from Suriname. The concept is by Tolin Erwin Alexander, Berith Danse and designer Bartel Meyburg. 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