For many Afrikan descendants of those who were enslaved on St. Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean, the annual commemoration of the First Salute on November 16, 1776 carries a painful resonance. While it is a historical event recognized as the first acknowledgement of the United States by a foreign power, the significance of this event is overshadowed by the pervasive and profound experiences of the Dutch trans-Atlantic slave trade, colonialism and chattel slavery that defined the lives of our ancestors during that era. Ongoing trans-generational trauma and the current situation of Afrikans in light of past and present injustices are rooted in that legacy.

It's not our history and it's time to change the narrative

The year 1776 marks a pivotal time in history for freedom in the West, yet on the small Caribbean island of St. Eustatius, freedom was an elusive dream as it was on the other side of the ocean, in America itself. For our enslaved ancestors, this period did not bring hope or liberation. Instead, it was a time marked by suffering, crimes against humanity, and an unwavering battle for human dignity amid the oppressive yoke of slavery. The man behind the First Salute, Island Governor Johannes de Graaff was the largest enslaver on St. Eustatius at the time who committed the most heinous crimes against humanity against the Afrikan people.

Call to the Dutch government to move the First Salute event to The Hague

We urge the Dutch government and the government of St. Eustatius to re-evaluate the way this historical event is commemorated and the location where it takes place. It is time to include a more comprehensive historical narrative that acknowledges the suffering and resilience of enslaved individuals, highlighting the duality of freedom and bondage that existed during this era.

Above all, we call for the celebration to take place in The Hague and not in St. Eustatius. It is shocking to learn that the current president of the United States of America has been invited to this gathering—a president who targets diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs that is rapidly erasing the contributions of Afrikan-Americans to U.S. history and even in the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial in Margraten (NL) where two exhibition panels honoring Black World War II soldiers were removed. 

State and royal apologies for the Dutch slavery past, a colonial farce?

Both the former prime minister and the king of the Kingdom of the Netherlands have issued apologies for the Netherlands' history of slavery. We invite them, the organizers and other authorities to listen, to reflect, and to act.  We cannot change the past, but we can change how we remember it. Bring this event to The Hague, where it belongs, where two colonial powers cherish their relationship. Avoid treating St. Eustatius as merely an exotic location, let 'Statia Day' be 'Statia Day' as the islanders have shaped it over the years.  How much money is being spent on travel and hotel bills, while the island residents get nothing back except an upgraded infrastructure for the guests? 

Demand historical justice. Sign this petition to urge the Dutch government and the government of St. Eustatius to:

• Move the First Salute event to The Hague, where the two colonial powers can address their shared history.
• Stop using St. Eustatius as an exotic backdrop for a narrative that ignores the suffering and resilience of our ancestors.
• Give 'Statia Day' back to the islanders, ending the massive spending on travel and hotel bills for foreign dignitaries while residents are left behind.

Initiator: The St. Eustatius Afrikan Burial Ground Alliance (grassroots movement) and other concerned citizens in St. Eustatius