Zwarte Piet relic from Chrismas past stirs up annual culture debate

Forget about whether Santa is white or black. Let's talk about Pete — Zwarte Piet, helper of traditional Dutch St. Nicholas Sinterklaas during his visits to children. Zwarte Piet or "Black Pete" depictions have drawn heavy criticism.

Called Piet or Pieten in Holland, Mich., this character has deep roots in traditional Netherlands folklore. Pieten appear in The Netherlands as Spanish Moors (common to southern Holland in the 1500s), but in caricature, using blackface makeup, gold earrings and colorful period costumes. The practice is criticized for seemingly insensitive racial overtones.

In Amsterdam, protests are mounting over the depiction of Zwarte Piet, who historically used switches and kidnap threats to goad children into good behavior for Sinterklaas. In recent decades, Pieten began tossing candies to little ones, and the blackface has been re-imagined as chimney soot.

Black Pete’s manifestation in the United States is particularly troubling recalling what's called the "Jim Crow" era, so named for a character created in the 1830s by white actor Thomas Dartmouth Rice, who painted his face black. Over time, the act led to minstrel shows featuring demeaning portrayals of blacks.

In Holland, Mich., the Pieten have been white for years, but that hasn't always been the case, according to Holland Museum records dating back to the 1940s and earlier.

Holland Town Crier John Karsten grew up in the Netherlands and dresses up as Sinterklaas each year for the city’s procession. As he told The Sentinel last year, Black Pete had nothing to do with slavery, but reflected the migrant workers of southern Europe.

David Pilgrim, Ferris State University's vice president of diversity and inclusion, and founder of the school's Michigan's Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia, said here in the U.S., "we've made a great deal of progress in (race relations). We're more egalitarian, more democratic than at any time in our history. But race and racism remain part of our culture."

His museum's Zwarte Piet information spurs a steady stream of mail "from people in the Netherlands claiming that I'm politically correct and oversensitive," Pilgrim said.

In the Netherlands, the traditional Black Pete continues to have its supporters, but the debate is reprised every holiday season. On Facebook, pages for and against the character have each attracted thousands of fans.

The  New York Times reported even the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights weighed in via a letter to the Dutch government in January, saying Black Pete is a "living trace of past slavery" and perpetuates the notion of second-class status for people of African descent. Last month, the U.N. asked the Dutch government to allow those who consider Black Pete a racist caricature to speak out without fear of repercussion. In response, the Dutch government, while affirming a strong opposition to all forms of discrimination, also affirmed that the Sinterklaas tradition is a children’s celebration, despite differences of opinion on Black Pete, according to The New York Times.

In Holland, Mich., Pete might be white, but race relations can progress, according to the Rev. Wayne Coleman, who regularly hosts town hall-style meetings on race relations in the city.

"I travel the country talking to people after racial incidents, and one thing I suggest they do is find a way to have a sustained meaningful dialog," Pilgrim said.

— Follow this reporter on Facebook and Twitter, @SentinelPeg. Sentinel reporter Andrea Goodell and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Rev. Wayne Coleman wants to see more racial unity in Holland. Coleman started hosting town hall meetings at his Holland Christian Reformed Church, Imagine Fellowship, this year after vandals damaged his truck in July — and allegedly shouted racial epithets. Almost $750 in community donations were raised to help cover the estimated $3,000 in damage to the truck, but what Coleman really wants is racial reconciliation for all people. Coleman said he learned shortly after Thanksgiving that the two suspects in the case would not be charged with a hate crime. In early December, the Ottawa County Prosecutor decided not to pursue charges of ethnic intimidation, saying “after their review, the Prosecutor's office decided there was insufficient evidence in this case to bring any further charges on either suspect.” In a written statement, Holland's public safety officials said the city "maintains its commitment to aggressively pursuing cases involving hate or bias-motivated criminal activity." The decision, Coleman said, "sends a terrible message to people of color in this community, when it comes to racial intimidation." He said he plans to continue town hall meetings, but would like to see more people actively meeting neighbors and more business leaders diversifying staff as well as their customer base. David Pilgrim, Ferris State University's vice president of diversity and inclusion, and the founder of the school's Michigan's Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia, said he has two suggestions to encourage racial healing: Witnesses should speak up rather than remain silent and correct others compassionately. "If you crush a person, you can't teach them after that," he said. "And if you crush them, you can't really teach anyone who watched you crush the other person. How is it you correct a person without crushing them? There's no easy answer, but you have to find a way to challenge the thinking." Pilgrim said he's never hesitated to speak up in the face of bias or bullying, but "I understand and have great sympathy for the position that people are in when they don't feel empowered to do that." Rev. Coleman's efforts are excellent, Pilgrim said. Healing a divide "occurs in small groups, if people are free to talk, safe to talk and willing to talk, and others are free and safe and willing to listen. Then," he said, "you can get some work done." — Peg McNichol